In this thesis the overall aim is to analyse conceptions of change with the point of departure being texts developed within the framework of three development partnerships financed by the European Social Fund's Equal Programme 2001-2007. The development partnerships, consisting of collaborating parties from both the public and private sector, aimed at developing new methods and ideas in order to counteract discrimination and all kinds of inequality in working life. The thesis poses the following research questions: How are the problems that the development partnerships intended to counteract described? What appears as important to change in order for discrimination in working life to decrease? In what ways are changes aimed at combating discrimination and contributing to increased gender equality and diversity in working life deemed possible? What motives emerge behind the visions of creating a working life without discrimination? How are gender and other social categories constructed and how do these constructions impact on the conceptions of change that emerge? The ideas, perspectives and interests that characterise the understanding of changes in working life in the studied texts, are illustrated with the aid of theories on how society's forms of rule have changed from government to governance and theories on how gender is done. Furthermore, why certain perspectives and ideas emerge and the consequences of them is analysed based on institutional ethnography and concepts such as social relations and ruling relations. The thesis' analysis points to how the consensus-based organisational form of partnership and the politics and principles that are reflected in the Equal Programme together with notions on growth, leadership and gender create limits for the conceptions of change. Limits that in certain respects entail that society's relations of power and inequality, instead of being challenged, are reproduced. Based on the results of the study, the importance is emphasised of continuously taking one's point of departure in identifying and challenging the limits to how one can speak of change, since the dominant conceptions of change may be an expression of the ruling relations. / I den här avhandlingen är det övergripande syftet att analysera föreställningar om förändring med utgångspunkt i texter som tagits fram inom ramen för tre utvecklingspartnerskap som finansierades av den Europeiska socialfondens Equal-program 2001-2007. Utvecklingspartnerskapen, som bestod av flera samverkansparter från privat och offentlig sektor, syftade till att utveckla nya metoder och idéer för att motverka diskriminering och all slags ojämlikhet i arbetslivet. Avhandlingen utgår från frågeställningarna: Hur beskrivs de problem som utvecklingspartnerskapen avsåg att motverka? Vad framstår som viktigt att förändra för att diskrimineringen i arbetslivet ska minska? På vilka sätt antas förändringar, som anses leda till minskad diskriminering och ökad jämställdhet och mångfald i arbetslivet, vara möjliga? Vilka motiv framträder bakom visionerna om att skapa ett arbetsliv utan diskriminering? Hur konstrueras kön och andra sociala kategorier och hur inverkar dessa konstruktioner på de föreställningar om förändring som framträder? Med hjälp av teorier om hur samhällets styrformer förändrats ”från government till governance” och teorier om hur kön görs åskådliggörs vad det är för idéer, perspektiv och intressen som karakteriserar förståelsen av förändringar i arbetslivet i de rapporter, filmer, utbildningar och metodböcker med mera som studerats. Utifrån den institutionella etnografin och begrepp som sociala relationer och styrningsrelationer analyseras vidare varför vissa perspektiv och idéer framträder och konsekvenserna av dem. Avhandlingens analys pekar på hur den konsensusbaserade organiseringsformen partnerskap och den politik och de principer som reflekteras i Equal-programmet tillsammans med föreställningar om tillväxt, ledarskap och kön skapar gränser i föreställningarna om förändring. Gränser som i vissa avseenden innebär att samhällets relationer av makt och ojämlikhet – istället för att utmanas – reproduceras. Utifrån studiens resultat poängteras vikten av att ständigt ta utgångspunkt i att identifiera och utmana gränserna för hur det går att tala om förändring eftersom dominerande föreställningar om förändring kan vara ett uttryck för samhällets styrningsrelationer.

The dissertation provides an in-depth analysis of Swedes’ perceptions about vacations during the period of 1938 to 1959. The aim is to contribute to a more thorough understanding of vacation-related consumption, which in Sweden was of growing economic importance from the 1930s and onwards. The study examines perceptions about the relationship between vacation and work; the experience with nature; interactions with family members and other social relations; relaxation and rest, and the act of travelling. The dissertation also analyzes the adoption of the first Holiday with Pay Act in 1938 and examines how people vacationed during the period. Throughout the study class and gender are used as analytical categories. The principal source material is autobiographical recollections, which consist of written replies to questionnaires sent out by the Nordic Museum. Other sources include materials related to the introduction of the Holiday with Pay Act, mainly the Swedish Government Official Report and the parliamentary debate. Representations of vacations in magazine advertisements are also analyzed. Equalization between classes was an important reason for the adoption of the Holiday with Pay Act in 1938. Proponents of the legislation in parliament and, to some extent even the opponents, viewed equalization as a positive outcome of the reform. As a result of the legislation, blue-collar workers, both women and men, were able to enjoy vacations to a greater extent than before. However, large groups, mainly farmers, entrepreneurs, and housewives, continued to lack entitlement to paid vacations, a fact that were debated in parliament. Nevertheless, persons without legal entitlement to paid vacations still occasionally took time off and went on vacations. It was relatively common to travel during the vacation, even at the beginning of the period. The desire to experience a contrast to everyday life was prominent. People desired contrast not only with work but also with everyday life outside of work, including regular leisure time, something that is particularly evident in the autobiographical recollections. In one form or another, the desire for contrast permeated views on the various factors examined in the dissertation. Travel represented an ideal way to experience contrast. Nature was more interesting if it was located somewhere else, relaxation and rest was best achieved if one went away, and meeting new people was seen as more exciting than spending time with family. Overall perceptions concerning vacation were similar among blue-collar and white-collar workers of both sexes, as well as among housewives, farmers, and entrepreneurs. They all wanted to experience a contrast to everyday life. On a more detailed level, though, these desires took somewhat different forms depending on working conditions and economic circumstances. These common perceptions had economic significance, as going away meant more purchases than staying at home. It was not just a matter of spending what was required for the trip to happen. Travel and the desire for contrast had amplifying effects on other vacation-related consumption as well. An English summary of the dissertation is provided. / I centrum för avhandlingen står en analys av semesteruppfattningar år 1938–1959. Syftet är att på så sätt bidra till en mer ingående förståelse av semesterkonsumtionen, som fick en allt större ekonomisk betydelse från 1930-talet och framåt. Aspekter som undersöks närmare är uppfattningar om semester i relation till arbete, naturuppsyn, uppfattningar om familj och andra sociala relationer, uppfattningar om vila samt uppfattningar om resande. Vid sidan om den fördjupande analysen av uppfattningar studeras även införandet av semesterlagen 1938 och det konkreta semesterfirandet under perioden. Genus och klass utgör analytiska kategorier genom hela avhandlingen. Huvudmaterial är så kallade frågelistsvar. Dessa är självbiografiska minnen nedskrivna av informanter som svar på en frågelista Nordiska museet skickat ut. Dessutom används material med anknytning till semesterlagstiftningens införande, främst semesterutredning och riksdagsprotokoll, samt semesterrelaterade annonser i veckotidningarna Husmodern och Lektyr. När riksdagen fattade beslut om semesterlagen 1938 var ett viktigt motiv att man ville utjämna skillnader mellan klasserna. Både de som var positiva till reformen och de som var negativa till reformen såg klassutjämning som ett positivt resultat av den. Fler arbetare, både kvinnor och män, fick nu också semester. Samtidigt fanns stora grupper, främst jordbrukare och företagare av båda könen samt hemarbetande hustrur, vilka inte hade några semesterrättigheter alls, något som också debatterades i riksdagen. Det hände dock att kvinnor och män utan semesterrättigheter ändå tog ledigt på egen bekostnad. Det var relativt vanligt att resa iväg på semestern, även i början av perioden. I frågelistsvaren syns en stark uppskattning av att få uppleva en kontrast till vardagen. Ett liknande synsätt kom till uttryck i utredningen, i riksdagsdebatten och i de semesterrelaterade annonserna. Avhandlingen visar att informanterna ville uppleva en kontrast både till arbete och till övrig vardagsfritid. Synsättet präglade semesteruppfattningarna gällande alla aspekter som studerats närmare. Naturen sågs som mer intressant om den var belägen någon annanstans än hemmavid, vila och avkoppling ansågs bäst kunna uppnås om man reste iväg någonstans och semesterfirarna uppskattade att göra nya bekantskaper medan familjen snarare togs för given. Genom att resa iväg på semestern kunde informanterna uppfylla önskemålet om att få uppleva kontrast till hela sin vardag. Avhandlingen visar att semesteruppfattningarna på en övergripande nivå var lika bland arbetare, tjänstemän, hemarbetande hustrur, lantbrukare och företagare. På en mer detaljerade nivå kunde önskemålet att få uppleva en kontrast till vardagen ta sig något olika uttryck beroende på semesterfirarens arbetsförhållanden och ekonomiska situation. Avhandlingen visar dessutom att uppfattningarna hade ekonomisk betydelse, då resor innebar att informanterna gjorde fler inköp än då de stannade hemma. Det handlade inte enbart om sådan konsumtion som krävdes för att resan skulle bli av, utan även andra typer av inköp var större i samband med en resa än vid en hemmavistelse.

<p>Our world is becoming increasingly complex, and is rapidly changingwith distances being reduced. Societies today are also in atransition from traditional production industries to increasingreliance on communication, consumption, services and experience. Asone of these emerging ‘new industries’, tourism is part of thismovement. Globalisation also makes further development of tourismpossible through, amongst other things, the spreading of languages;the development of low-cost carriers; international monetary systems;telecommunications and other technological innovations. Tourismcontributes to the globalisation of society and at the same time is aproduct of it. This is confirmed by complexity theories that stressthe systematic and dynamic nature of globalisation and theinterdependence of the global and the local. Hence, in this thesis,it is argued that acknowledging the complexity of tourism isnecessary for understanding tourism development, and more knowledgeabout tourism also leads to greater knowledge of our society.</p><p>The main aim of this thesis is to understand the complexity of localand regional tourist destination development, by exploring social andcultural factors that influence this development. In order to fulfilthis aim, analysis has been conducted at three different levels:places, projects and people. More specifically, by examining placesand how they develop as destinations; investigating the structure of,and processes within, groups and networks important for destinationdevelopment and by exploring the roles, resources and attitudes ofenterprising people who are seen as key for development. The thesisis based on a research project including three studies of tourismdestinations and projects in Northern Sweden and Scotland.</p><p>The social and cultural factors connected to tourism development arein turn part of learning processes, which in this thesis are seen asfundamental mechanisms for processes of development. A frameworkcalled ‘Learning Destinations’ is introduced that demonstrates howimportant social and cultural factors manifest themselves at each ofthe three levels: places, projects and people. History and heritageand rationales are the main cultural factors discussed, whilstinteraction and boundaries are prominent social factors found toinfluence tourism development. It is suggested that the framework of‘Learning Destinations’ may serve as a tool for understanding thecomplexity of local and regional tourism development.</p>

Our world is becoming increasingly complex, and is rapidly changingwith distances being reduced. Societies today are also in atransition from traditional production industries to increasingreliance on communication, consumption, services and experience. Asone of these emerging ‘new industries’, tourism is part of thismovement. Globalisation also makes further development of tourismpossible through, amongst other things, the spreading of languages;the development of low-cost carriers; international monetary systems;telecommunications and other technological innovations. Tourismcontributes to the globalisation of society and at the same time is aproduct of it. This is confirmed by complexity theories that stressthe systematic and dynamic nature of globalisation and theinterdependence of the global and the local. Hence, in this thesis,it is argued that acknowledging the complexity of tourism isnecessary for understanding tourism development, and more knowledgeabout tourism also leads to greater knowledge of our society. The main aim of this thesis is to understand the complexity of localand regional tourist destination development, by exploring social andcultural factors that influence this development. In order to fulfilthis aim, analysis has been conducted at three different levels:places, projects and people. More specifically, by examining placesand how they develop as destinations; investigating the structure of,and processes within, groups and networks important for destinationdevelopment and by exploring the roles, resources and attitudes ofenterprising people who are seen as key for development. The thesisis based on a research project including three studies of tourismdestinations and projects in Northern Sweden and Scotland. The social and cultural factors connected to tourism development arein turn part of learning processes, which in this thesis are seen asfundamental mechanisms for processes of development. A frameworkcalled ‘Learning Destinations’ is introduced that demonstrates howimportant social and cultural factors manifest themselves at each ofthe three levels: places, projects and people. History and heritageand rationales are the main cultural factors discussed, whilstinteraction and boundaries are prominent social factors found toinfluence tourism development. It is suggested that the framework of‘Learning Destinations’ may serve as a tool for understanding thecomplexity of local and regional tourism development.