Löst folk
Om konstruktionen av lösdrivarproblemet under 1920-talet
In the 1920s the law against vagrancy had been unaltered since it?s introduction in 1885. During that period, Sweden had undergone great social and political transformation in the wake of industrialisation, urbanisation and democratisation. The political landscape had changed and the social sciences were organising knowledge in new ways. The public opinion realised the need for a review of the vagrant law that better corresponded to the modern times. The issue was debated and voices were heard from various parts of society, representing the viewpoints of the different political parties, the sciences and the authorities. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the vagrancy problem was constructed through this debate, and how it can be understood in terms of disciplinary power and biopower as Michel Foucault has described them. How was the vagrant productive for the powers that dealt with him?