ABSTRACT
The previous international and Swedish literature on squatting and its structural conditions will be presented here. It will be argued that the history of squatting in Sweden has not been outlined before and there is a lack of systematic studies of the phenomenon in the country. Most studies have been based on local (city) observations during limited periods of time, and while some scholarly work on squatting in the 1980s and 1990s has been conducted, studies of the more recent history of squatting in the country are almost non-existent. The explanations for the emergence and development of squatting in particular countries will be presented and it will be argued that the existing literature on squatting is too focused on “successful” cases of squatting, and neglects the less frequent and above all short-term squatting. Researchers tend to focus on what makes collective mobilizations and movements popular and effective in achieving their claims, rather than examining what constrains collective action and what hinders the achievement of its goals. It will be argued that it is equally important to develop knowledge of the constraining discursive aspects in collective action as it covers previously under-researched characteristics of mobilization and more sustained collective action, further broadening and nuancing our knowledge of the subject.
