Laget Sverige : En etnografisk studie av de människor som nekats sjukersättning av Försäkringskassan

Sammanfattning: The study aims to analyze claimants encounter with Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) drawing on theories of power. It investigates how this contact has affected the claimants’ view of themselves as contributing citizens. The study has mainly focused on the experiences of assessments for sickness benefit claims as well as the interaction with case officers during the proceedings. The study found that the institutionalized power relations between the citizen and the agency were internalized by the informants. Specifically, it resulted in an altered sense of human worth and societal contribution. Informants described being distanced with regards to agency and society, and internalizing the perception of being a second class citizen. The study showed that the claimants’ experiences of the assessment proceedings led to feeling systematically marginalized by the state. The power influence the informants were subjected to by the agency, resulted in introverted as well as extroverted resistance and ultimately power reclaim. It is in part demonstrated through their participation in the study and their wish to bring the question to light.