With a background in the ageing of the population and the new challenges facing individuals, families and the welfare state, the aim of this thesis is to analyse the changing family landscape and the geographical distances between elderly parents and adult children. The thesis consists of four empirical studies derived from three different sources of data: In the first paper (Paper I), historical population data is combined with modern register data for two Swedish regions. In the second and third papers, individual-level register data covering the entire Swedish population serves as the empirical starting point. The fourth paper leaves the registers aside and builds upon interviews. Paper I provides an introduction and historical background to the question of intergenerational geographical proximity and distance. The paper analyses intergenerational distances and seeks to compare and discuss the significance of the variations. It is shown that concerning extreme proximity a great decrease has occurred over 200 years, however when it comes to having kin within reach the decrease is less dramatic, and that now, just as then, a majority of elderly parents have an adult child within reach. The article concludes that even though geographical distances between generations vary over time and space, no clear linear trend towards intergenerational geographical separation can be established. In Paper II we analyse some features and trends in intergenerational distances in Sweden. We find that 10% of all elderly parents have at least one child living very close and that a majority, 85%, have an adult child within reach. The study shows no clear trend towards increasing intergenerational separation, but suggests that periods of intense societal restructuring, such urbanisation, can lead to spells of increased intergenerational separation on an aggregated level. Paper III investigates whether, and to what extent, elderly parents and adult children move close to each other. We find that even though the older generation makes up a smaller share of the moves made, when they do move they are more likely to move closer to an adult child. Further, having more than one relative at a destination adds to the attraction, and that older elderly are less likely to move close to a child than younger elderly. One interpretation is that young-old parents serve as a resource for their adult children, while older elderly are more influenced by the need for welfare state based assistance. The last paper, IV, returns to the elderly parents living very close to an adult child. In interviews with 14 elderly the aim of the paper is to gain new understanding about the interaction between intergenerational proximity, assistance and the meaning of being close. Some of the issues raised in the paper relate to migration histories, reciprocity and independence. / I två av delarbetena har författaren efternamnet Pettersson.

Based on the concept of path-dependence, this thesis examines regional representatives’ notion of rationalizations in three Swedish regions. In the provinces of Skåne and Västra Götaland the responsibility for welfare issues like health care, regional development, communications, and culture, is appointed to the two organizations Region Skåne and Västra Götalandsregionen. Both organizations are results of merger processes between old organizations called landsting, with a smaller geographical scale and less responsibility. In Svealand three landsting formally have applied for a similar fusion like the ones in Skåne and in Västra Götaland. The idea behind these fusions is that rationalizations in the field of welfare, are achieved by changing the scale of production, from lesser to larger units. This thesis shows that the perceived effect of rationalization by fusion, can take time. Old norms, values, and cultures that emanate from the landsting are for example conceived by the regional representatives in Västra Götaland and in Svealand, to prevent what kind of rationalizations the organizations are able to accomplish. In Skåne, on the contrary, the notion that the regional organization has overcome its historically defined problems, dominate. In that sense, Västra Götalandregionen and the region-building process in Svealand are path-dependent. But Region Skåne, on the other hand, has overcome its historical institutional legacy. This thesis highlights the importance of examining organization histories to be able to understand why certain decisions are hard to make, and why institutions evolve or not. This is also important to acknowledge when the regions’ representatives try to construct regions. From this perspective, the thesis tries to clarify how people’s expectations can delay what kind of rationalizations an organization can implement and how these expectations seem to legitimize what decisions the organization are able to take. The thesis also tries to clarify one way of using the concept of “path-dependence” in academic studies by the usage of ideal types.

This thesis concerns both static and dynamic modeling in a spatial computable general equilibrium setting. First, we have applied a static framework for the assessment of economic impacts of the Öresund bridge. Secondly, we make an attempt to enhance the static framework through the introduction of economic dynamics. Third, we introduce the STRAGO model, incorporating monopolistic competition, dynamics and additive transport costs. STRAGO is applied to the analysis of effects from a kilometer tax on freight. The last paper presents a framework for studying the division, or fragmentation of production. This framework uses the standard theory of monopolistic competition, with a production chain extension, through a recursive view of markets. The optimal level of fragmentation in such industries is studied. / QC 20100811

This essay in economic geography describes what intra-firm trade as a concept is and different ways to determine in which cases trade is to be labeled as intra-firm trade (IFT) or not. The method used by the author is most easily described as descriptive. This method was chosen in order to test if existing theories; classic and neoclassic economics, new trade theory and international business studies, are capable to explain the phenomena of IFT. The theories are tested trough primary and secondary literature but also trough reasoning by the author. The conclusion is that the most reasonable way to determine whether trade occurs intra-firm or not, is to decide upon a 5-% rule where it when one part owns 5-% of the voting strength in the other company is to be considered intra-firm trade. This is a conclusion based on several reasons; the strongest one being that a common view on IFT could boost comparative studies as the U.S already collects data based on the 5-% rule. Classic and neoclassic economics are incapable of explaining IFT as aprerequisite for these theories is that markets are perfect. IFT can only beexplained by models building on imperfect markets hence new trade theory and international business are more successful in explaining IFT.

No description available.

With its point of departure of increasing numbers of people being engaged in commuting, the aim of this thesis is to reveal prerequisites for and consequences of long-distance commuting in Sweden for the individual and his or her partner. Special attention has been given to prerequisites for long-distance commuting in sparsely populated areas, and to social consequences related to long-distance commuting in terms of gender differences in commuting patterns, earnings and separation. The thesis is based on four empirical studies, presented in different papers. Two studies draw on individual longitudinal register data on all Swedish long-distance commuters living with a partner. The other two focus on commuting behaviour in sparsely populated areas, one based on individual register data and the other on a survey. Long-distance commuting (>30 kilometres) has become an increasingly common mobility strategy among Swedish workers and their households. Results from the thesis show that 11 percent of Swedish workers are long-distance commuters and about half of them live in a relationship. Among these couples many are families with children, indicating the importance of social ties in households’ decisions on where to work and live. Most long-distance commuters are men, and it is also likely that long-distance commuters have a high education level and are employed in the private sector. For the majority, long-distance commuting gives higher earnings; however, men benefit economically more than women do. As long-distance commuting reduces available family time, the non-commuting spouse often takes on a larger share of household commitments. The thesis shows that men’s long-distance commuting may therefore serve to reproduce and reinforce traditional gender roles on the labour market and within households. On the other hand, women’s long-distance commuting can lead to more equalitarian relationships on the labour market and within households. For the majority of couples it seems as if long-distance commuting becomes more than a temporary mobility strategy, while for some couples it does not work out very well. Separation rates are found to be higher among long-distance commuters compared to other couples; especially the first years of commuting seem to be the most challenging. It is suggested that coping strategies are important to make the consequences of long-distance commuting easier to handle and adjust to in the daily life puzzle. For those unable to handle these consequences, long-distance commuting is not a sustainable mobility strategy and can even end a relationship. The extent of long-distance commuting is low in sparsely populated areas, and those who do long-distance commute are mainly men. Most people work and live within the same locality and do not accept longer commuting times than do those in densely populated areas. In this thesis it is argued that facilitating car commuting in the more sparsely populated areas of Sweden can be more economically and socially sustainable, for the individual commuters as well as for society, than encouraging commuting by public transportation.

Over three decades of rapid economic growth in China, beginning in 1978, has been accompanied by ever-enlarging urban-rural inequalities in terms of the various aspects of income, welfare, infrastructure, medical treatment, and education (amongst others). These two parts – the urban and the rural - have long been treated separately, without much consideration being given to their mutual linkages (relations). Urban and rural development can, essentially, be interpreted as the deployment of key factors (terms of trade for agricultural products, land requisition, and labor transfer), and the supply of public goods and services (infrastructure, education, insurance, and medical care). Thus, the urban-rural inequalities experienced by China at present can be understood as the consequence of the factor flows (labor, capital, goods, information, and technology, etc.) and agglomeration between these two parts. This thesis aims to investigate urban-rural relations in China in the post-reform era, and their influences on the economic, social, and environmental development in both the urban and the rural areas. The thesis consists of five papers and the cover essay. The first two papers provide a detailed picture of urban-rural relations in China, while the other papers examine the impact of urban-rural relations in terms of population mobility, arable and built land use change, and regional economic inequality in the study area. The findings of the thesis reveal that urban-rural relations in China became gradually intensified in the post-reform era, especially when the central government initiated a shift from a situation of urban bias to comprehensive support for the rural areas. However, the mutual resource flows in the study area still tend to agglomerate in the urban districts, while only reaching the rural peripheries to a limited extent. This is demonstrated in the way in which the urban districts experienced fast and large scale demographic growth and land use change, while slow and small-scale demographic and land use change took place in the peripheries. The urban-rural interface, which is situated between the urban and rural areas, evidences medium-level resource agglomeration. This thesis, through the discussion which it sets out, emphasizes the necessity of exercising both political and market forces in order to achieve balanced urban-rural resource flows in China. Another implication for policy making is to develop more sub-centers at the peri-urban or periphery, making these areas the interface for urban-rural resource linkages. / QC 20110909

Gentrifiering pågår idag ständigt i vårt samhälle. Det är en social förändringsprocess som består i att människor med hög socioekonomisk status flyttar till områden som traditionellt sett har dominerats av människor ur lägre sociala klasser och från etniska minoriteter. Den här studien undersöker teorier och bakomliggande faktorer till varför människor väljer att gentrifiera och vilka likheter det finns mellan dem som väljer att gentrifiera. Genom en litteraturstudie visar pekar undersökningen på tidigare forskning och för en diskussion om ämnet. Resultat av den här studien visar att anledningarna till varför människor gentrifierar idag ser väldigt olika ut, man har alltså inte kommit fram till vad den gemensamma nämnaren som får gentrifierarare att gentrifiera är. Vad man har ringat in är vad som sker, vilka det drabbar och vilka som har bra förutsättningar att bli gentrifierare. Studien visar också att man måste sätta in gentrifiering i ett större samhällsperpektiv i vidare forskning för att finna nya svar och att inte bara studera den gentrifierande sidan, de som flyttar in i dessa områden. / Gentrification is something that is constantly going on in our society. It is a social change that consists of people with high socioeconomic status that are moving to areas which traditionally have been dominated by people from lower social classes and ethnic minorities. This is a study which examines theories and underlying factors of why people choose to gentrify and what similarities exist between them. Through a literature study I examine previous research and I undertake a discussion of the topic. The results of this study show that the reasons why people gentrify today are very different, they have not figured out what the common denominator is which make gentrifiers gentrify. What it has identified is what happens, what it affects and which individuals has good potential to become gentrifiers. The study also shows the need to deploy gentrification in a broader societal point of view in further research to find new answers and to think not only of the gentrifiers, those who move into these areas.

SPATIAL & TRANSPORTATION MISMATCH IN SWEDEN, 2015: EFFECTS OF MISMATCH & EASEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK & SUNDSVALL (Master thesis by Oscar Uneklint, 2018). The paper firstly aims to investigate how spatial and transportation workplace-access influences employment outcomes in the cities and municipalities of Sundsvall & Örnsköldsvik, located at the coastal north of Sweden. Secondly, the paper aims to evaluate the performance of the local public transportation networks in easing the effects of mismatch. Sweden’s sparse population, lesser degree of segregation and egalitarian economic model questions the influence of spatial mismatch in Sweden, recent increase in immigration and inequalities gives urgency to such questions. Accuracy of investigation is improved by the availability of microlevel-data but may be improved further by additional instruments. Results confirm minor influence of spatial access and major influence of transportation access on employment outcomes in the study area, 2015. The minor effect of job-access is stronger at the neighborhood-level, than commuting-level. The local public transportation networks reveal core-periphery structures and visualizes the strengths, weaknesses and complementarity of each system. While Örnsköldsvik’s network is more equitable and interconnected, Sundsvall’s network is better serviced with fewer but more relevant stations resulting in different challenges for public transportation in easing employment mismatch and improving life chances. / SPATIAL & TRANSPORTATION MISMATCH IN SWEDEN, 2015: EFFECTS OF MISMATCH & EASEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK & SUNDSVALL (Masteruppsats av Oscar Uneklint, 2018). Studien syftar för det första till att undersöka hur transportoberoende och transportberoende tillgänglighet till arbetsplatser påverkar anställningsutfall i Sundsvalls och Örnsköldsviks tätorter och kommuner, lokaliserade vid norra Sveriges kuststråk. Sveriges fåtaliga befolkning, mindre segregation och utjämnande ekonomiska modell ifrågasätter tillämpningen av rumslig missmatchning i Sverige. Samtidigt leder ökad immigration och tilltagande socioekonomiska skillnader till att förståelsen av dessa frågor brådskar. Resultatet bekräftar ett mindre inflytande av transportoberoende tillgänglighet och ett större inflytande av transportberoende tillgänglighet till arbetsplatser inom undersökningsområdet, 2015. Samtidigt är effekten av arbetstillgång större inom kvarteret än på pendelavstånd. Precisionen av både de skattade effekterna och hur de lindras förbättras av tillgången till individbaserade data, men effektskattningen försvagas av få instrument-variabler. För det andra syftar studien att utvärdera det kollektiva transportsystemet i de båda städerna för att lindra och utjämna de skattade tillgänglighetseffekterna. Resultatet bekräftar tydliga centrum-periferi strukturer i båda nätverken och visualiserar tillgänglighet, frekvens, styrka, funktion och komplementaritet i respektive buslinjenät.

This thesis focus on the unidimensional adscriptions of value behind industrial soybeans production in Paraguay. The thesis aims to present non-economic Nature’s Contributions to traditional farmers’ quality of life, the role of farmers’ traditional knowledge to display these contributions and the efficiency of such knowledge regarding high productive demands. From a theoretical framework based on nature’s contributions to people, ecosystem services, knowledge systems and conservation, the thesis formulates the following research questions: 1) What drives the prioritization of a single economic value on nature’s contributions to people in rural Paraguay? 2) What is the value of non-economic nature’s contributions, and what is the role of traditional farmers on displaying these values? The study mostly relies in primary data obtained through semi-structured interviews conducted during fieldwork period in the study area of San Pedro, Eastern Paraguay. The results present a plural assessment on nature’s contributions and the adaptation of small farmers to modern farming techniques. The thesis concludes that a perspective dominated by unidimensional value can be socially motivated within the rush for development in Paraguay, a concept tied to economic growth and modernization. In addition, nature’s contributions displayed by small farmers suggest that community-based conservation could represent a more sustainable approach for the farmers’ needs and the current environmental challenges of the country.