Förväntningarnas anatomi : drömmar om social rörlighet i det svenska Östersjöområdet, 1680–1770

Sammanfattning: The Anatomy of Expectation. Dreams of Social Mobility in the Swedish Baltic Sea Area, 1680–1770 Social mobility in the early modern period has been subject to extensive research, often with an interest in quantities, ideologies, and strategies. The personal driving forces behind this mobility, on the other hand, remain obscure. Focusing on servants of the state in the Swedish Baltic Sea area between 1680 and 1770, this study aims to analyse the formation of the experiences and expectations that made people strive for a higher social position in the Swedish society of estates, despite scepticism among the elite and decreasing career opportunities after the fall of the Swedish Empire. To develop a deeper understanding of the processes that affected early modern social dynamics, a qualitative examination of around 300 handwritten petitions addressed to the state administration, a communication channel that was of central importance for social mobility in this society, is carried out. With theoretical inspiration from the field of history of experience, the analytical terms ”arena of experience” and ”cultural repertoire” are used in an analysis that pays close attention to social processes, contexts, and comparisons. Hereby, it is possible not only to identify the experiences and expectations of the petitioners, their complex character and how they changed over time, but also to show how they were formed in relation to mutable cultural imaginaries, literary forms, and institutional structures. The study demonstrates that the early modern dreams of social mobility were influenced by widespread notions of householding, service, advancement, merit, and grace, which were incorporated in the genre and institutionalised in the petitioning process. During the 18th century, however, the experiences and expectations were transformed. Their patriarchal and religious foundations became less important, which was not only a consequence of changed cultural values, but also influenced by the bureaucratisation of the state administration. Precedence, measurable merit, legal rights, and patriotic emotions now took on greater importance. Still, the experiences and expectations were in no way monolithic. Because of prevailing cultural notions and judicial features, age, geography, and social context affected the opportunities to dream of a higher social position. In a broader European perspective, the Swedish case indicates the existence of dreams of social mobility among relatively broad sections of society, even though previous research on the topic is sparse. Through petitions, people were negotiating social mobility in everyday actions. Here, the central role of the expansive government and early bureaucratisation of the Swedish society is demonstrated. The modern career was, therefore, not solely a product of the 19th century, but the result of long-term developments in relation to shifting cultural imaginaries, a stable genre, and increasingly solid institutional structures.