The Forgotten Societies of the Welfare State : The Society of Stråssa and its Build-up, put in a Wider Perspective of the Welfare State of Sweden

Abstract: This thesis shows the build-up of a society in the golden days of the welfare state of Sweden. Stråssa, a small society built up around one big employer – the mine, owned by the Grängesbergsbolaget – is used as a case-study, put in the larger perspective of the welfare state and its values. The mine was re-opened in 1959 and the research period is 1949-1965. This research has three layers, (1) the welfare state (2) the municipality and the company and (3) the citizens.  The research shows how the foundry spirit lives longer than expected in the welfare state during a period when the municipality has gotten great responsibilities by the state. Here the municipality and the citizens still have expectations on the big employer of the area to finance the build-up, both regarding the housing- and the leisure time-questions, responsibilities that were put on the municipalities under this era.