Exploring Resilience with Families : National Report for Sweden

This report presents the analysis of the primary research conducted with a range of families in Swedenfor Work Package 4 (WP4) of the rEUsilience project. It outlines the methodological approach taken todata collection and analysis and presents the findings of the empirical work undertaken. The report’sunderpinning evidence was obtained through seven focus groups conducted with 38 members of familiesin different parts of Sweden between May and July 2023. The focus of the research was on family-relatedrisks and so the participants were chosen by virtue of potentially or actually experiencing risks or difficultsituations. The participants were drawn from families on a low income, lone-parent families and familieswith a migrant background. The evidence was analysed using thematic analysis. The study providesinsights into the obstacles facing families in responding to labour market risks when caring for children orother family members, as well as the resources and skills people mobilise to overcome the pressures theyface.The following are the main findings. •Families were found to be faced with a series of risks, with problems relating to income,employment and care intersecting together and with other background difficulties. •Insecurity in income and other aspects of life–such as housing and employment–emerged asan important defining feature of participants’ lives. •Income pressures threaded through various aspects of everyday life and needs. The costs ofchild-related expenses were identified as a primary budget item that was especially felt toincrease income pressures. •Matters relating to jobs and employment were the source of significant comment, especially inregard to the availability of work, discrimination, work-life balance and, in the case of policiesthat have job-search requirements, coping with rules and regulations. •As well as money, time was a scarce resource for some people. This led to emphasis on work-lifebalance as one of the challenges facing families
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No Project 101060410 and Innovate UK, the UK’s Innovation Agency.