Tillit, jobbfokus och sociala rättigheters gränser

– en problematiserande analys av aktiveringspolitikens hegemoni

Abstract

This article analyses how the concepts of trust and job focus are operationalised within municipal labour market units in Sweden, drawing on the Danish Employment Indicator Project (BIP). Using qualitative mediated discourse analysis (MDA) of focus groups and a workshop, we illuminate how employment officers interpret and implement these concepts in practice. The findings are discussed in relation to social rights, demonstrating how trust and job focus function as governing norms that risk individualising responsibility for unemployment, thereby obscuring structural factors. The discussion critically examines the hegemonic position of activation policy and emphasises the need to reinstate social rights as central elements in labour market policy. We also argue that sustainable labour market inclusion demands more than individual motivation alone—it requires structural conditions that foster social justice and participation.