In the gray space(s) of housing provision. Studies of informal practices in two Swedish contexts.
Facts
- Contact person:
- Mikaela Herbert
- Financer:
-
- Lars-Erik Scholarship Foundation
- Responsible at MaU:
- Mikaela Herbert
- Time frame:
- 01 October 2024 - 30 September 2025
- Faculty/department:
- Research environment :
- Research subject:
About the project
The research project aims, from a socio-material perspective and using theoretical concepts such as informality, grey spaces, and hybridity, to critically explore and analyze how housing on the margins of Sweden's housing provision system connects to local labor and housing markets, the informal economy, and people’s livelihood strategies.
Empirically, the project is based on fieldwork in Malmö and Skellefteå—two contexts marked by housing shortages, migration, and societal transformation, albeit under different local conditions. The focus is on dwellings that have emerged through informal means and often do not meet the standards set by established norms and regulations for living environments.
Using an exploratory approach, the project employs a combination of data collection methods: interviews, participant and netnographic observations, document studies, and visual methods such as photography and mapping. The project is expected to contribute with a nuanced understanding and deeper insights into informal housing practices within the framework of a highly formalized and regulated context like Sweden.