“The future will be local.” Omställning Sverige – the transition towns movement in Sweden : from local communities to counter-hegemony?

Abstract: Neoliberal paradigms and a neoliberal hegemony are increasingly under pressure. Social and environmental movements stand on the forefront of providing alternative ways of thinking. In this paper I look into a newly emerged environmental movement in Sweden, Omställning Sverige. My main question is if the Swedish branch of the Transition Towns Movement can be considered counter-hegemonic. Up till today there has been little research on Omställning Sverige. My study focuses on ideas and practices of movement members. I explore how the movement tries to provide alternatives to neoliberal development and attempts to influence negotiations on what is considered legitimate in Swedish society. The aim of the study is to shed light on this expanding movement in the Swedish context, as well as to relate their actions to neoliberal hegemony in general. Geographically the study was limited to the county of Stockholm. I investigated four active Transition groups, applying a qualitative methodology. The data collection was carried out through interviews and participant observations, followed by a qualitative thematic analysis.