National Institute of Psychosocial Factors and Health (IPM)

Abstract

Passivity and loss of initiative are commonly observed reactions to unemployment. Activation has therefore generally been seen as a prerequisite for maintaining both health and full working capacity among the unemployed. Measures intended to activate can, however, paradoxically lead to further passivation. Many people get caught in a demoralising series of well-intended but essentially ineffective courses and projects. They feel increasingly helpless as their attempts to find a job fail repeatedly. Many jobseekers feel out of control also in relation to the Employment Service, being obliged to follow routines that carries little meaning for the individual apart from ensuring continued unemployment benefit. The result is not infrequently an increasingly passive attitude, often designated as ‘system adaptation’ or ‘clientification’. The growing awareness of this problem has lead to an increased emphasis on empowerment in addition to activation - a development largely parallel to the shift towards ‘supportive environments’ as the major strategy for public health. A number of different projects in Sweden and other Nordic countries that reflect this development have been analysed by the author. The major challenge seems to be how to activate without taking the initiative from the participants themselves. A need for increased self-confidence and guidance is generally acknowledged. The strategies vary a lot, however, from stimulating grass roots initiatives, such as co-operative enterprises, to educational measures, often based on specific adult education models. A special case is ‘Det finns bruk för alla’, where ideological mobilisation is used as a driving force. Individual freedom and/or responsibility are also frequently stressed in the studied projects, although the emphasis varies, as does the time perspective. Less time can increase motivation, while a comparatively long time may be needed for a more thoroughgoing reorientation. This balance between challenge and security seems to be crucial for both learning and self-confidence.

Keywords

Unemployment, Empowerment, Supportive environments, Labour market policy

Contact

IPM/Forskningsstation

Institution

National Institute of Psychosocial Factors and Health (IPM); IPM/Forskningsstation

Address

Mössebergsparken 2

City

SE-521 32 Falköping

Country

Sweden

E-mail

Hugo.Westerlund@ipm.ki.se

Phone

+ 46 515-711035

Fax

+ 46 515-711082