Vanmakt och motmakt i personliga assistenters relationer till brukare
MaktPersonliga assistenterBrukareLSSSocial sciencesSamhällsvetenskaperCare and help to handicappedHandikappadeVård och rehabiliteringSocial Sciences
The aim of this study was to examine the aspect of power in the relationship between the personal assistant and the disabled person he or she works with (the user). The study was based on interviews with five personal assistants who worked for private companies that provided personal assistance. Seven themes were identified and discussed. These were: the users amount of control over the assistance given, the workplace environment, the working conditions, the organization of personal assistance by private companies, the assistants recourses and usage of power and the users participation in chores. To analyze these themes I used Foucault's theory of power and the perspective of Human Resource. These seven themes either reduced or increased the resources of power available to the assistant or user. Resources of power available to the user included the control over the assistance given by the law (LSS) and also the fact that the user could use his disprivileged position as disabled to gain sympathy, thus enforcing his will (what I called victim's power). One obvious resource of power available to the assistant was the non-existing disability (as opposed to the user's disability), but to enforce his or her will, the assistant had to refer to the user's best interest. Another conclusion I drew was that both assistant and the disabled entered the relationship with a sense of being a victim of exercises of power, which drives them to use the resources of power available on each other. At the end of my essay I present three possible strategies for balancing the resources of power in this relationship. These are: lucid rules for the workplace, a compulsory vocational training and a better collective agreement for personal assistants.