
Tove Harnett
Associate professor, PhD Gerontology

Older People's “Voices”—On Paper: Obstacles to Influence in Welfare States—A Case Study of Sweden.
Author
Summary, in English
The official rhetoric of welfare states unconditionally pays tribute to older people’s right to express dissatisfaction. In practice, users of older services in welfare states may be deprived of their “exit” options and face considerable constraints when it comes to raising their “voices.” For example, when older people in nursing homes would like to lodge a complaint, they may well be referred to the very staff members they depend on in their everyday lives.
This article analyzes a national case study in which these contradictory tendencies are especially explicit: formal influence channels for older people in Sweden. Using data from structured interviews with 100 representatives of Swedish municipalities and drawing on Hirschman’s (1970) theory on exit and voice, the article analyzes obstacles to older service users’ influence in Sweden and develops explanations for these obstacles in terms of social contexts.
This article analyzes a national case study in which these contradictory tendencies are especially explicit: formal influence channels for older people in Sweden. Using data from structured interviews with 100 representatives of Swedish municipalities and drawing on Hirschman’s (1970) theory on exit and voice, the article analyzes obstacles to older service users’ influence in Sweden and develops explanations for these obstacles in terms of social contexts.
Publishing year
2009
Language
English
Pages
94-111
Publication/Series
Journal of Aging & Social Policy
Volume
21
Issue
1
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Topic
- Social Work
Keywords
- welfare state
- older people
- voice
- Sweden
- influence
- exit
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0895-9420