Perstorp var ju Perstorp

Sammanfattning: This text takes aim at researching the effects of the deindustrialisation on the collective identity of elderly people through a case study of a small society in the South of Sweden, namely Perstorp. The methods applied, a group interview and a narrative analysis of the gathered interview material, lay the foundation for the following discussion. The material indicates that the collective identity and collective memory of the elderly people of Perstorp consist of two parts: a memory of how it used to be during the industrial times and how the society is structured today. The analysis shows, according to the narrative of the elderly that the today’s society is not functioning as well as it used to. This indicates a disappointment in sharp contrast to the narrative about the past. Through contextualization, the study is intended to demonstrate resemblance with a general European context, in which deindustrialisation has changed society throughout.