Empowermentprocesser på ett screentryckeri
en studie av det sociala arbetskooperativet Young surfers
The purpose of the study is to investigate the significance of organizing social- cooperative in relation to individual empowerment; and how this empowerment can be used to better the situation of others. Young surfers is a social- cooperativ that is run by cooperators with experience of substance abuse and criminality. The social- cooperativ is built on the premise that the cooperators are to set up and run a screen-printing shop where they will print t-shirts and sweatshirts. The purpose of this business is that the cooperators are given the opportunity to work and that youths with social problems such as substance abuse and criminality are given the opportunity to work-train. My study is comprised of a series of interviews and observations that I have conducted in relation to the cooperators of Young Surfers. Social politics can be organized in numerous ways and different political goals can be reached depending on how you organize. Traditionally, public service in Sweden is organized through the treatment of clients by professionals. The relationship between the professional and the client is an un-equal relationship where the power resides solely on the professionals side. To reach goals related to user influence, participation and empowerment, there is a need for a shift in power from the professional to the users. This is facilitated by an active choice in organizing. The cooperators in Young Surfers have previously in their life's been clients within public service. Today the cooperators experince themselves as partners insted of clients. The cooperators also experience that there has been changes in their life's, changes regarding both individual development and future plans for the cooperativ. To gain power over ones situation is by the cooperators described as the opportunity to make personal choices.