Discretion in the “Backyard of Law”: Case Handling of Debt Relief in Sweden
This article explores discretion in welfare professional work. The aim is to analyse what room for discretionary decision-making that exist in case handling of debt relief at the Swedish Enforcement Authority (SEA). The analysis is guided by a conceptual distinction between structural and epistemic...
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Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences
2013-04-01
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Series: | Professions and Professionalism |
Online Access: | https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/pp/article/view/438 |
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doaj-8e3bb69befa7402fab5328af7274d0a72020-11-24T23:28:20ZengOslo and Akershus University College of Applied SciencesProfessions and Professionalism1893-10492013-04-013110.7577/pp.438384Discretion in the “Backyard of Law”: Case Handling of Debt Relief in SwedenBengt Larsson0Bengt Jacobsson1Dept. of Sociology and Work Science, University of GothenburgDepartment of Cultural Sciences, University of Gothenburg This article explores discretion in welfare professional work. The aim is to analyse what room for discretionary decision-making that exist in case handling of debt relief at the Swedish Enforcement Authority (SEA). The analysis is guided by a conceptual distinction between structural and epistemic aspects of discretion, as well as between substantive and procedural aspects. The data comprises official and internal SEA documents, interviews with management and staff and field notes from observations. The analysis points to a change in the balance between standards and discretion in relation to the on-going formalization of case handling at the SEA, though not in the simplistic sense that discretion is diminished through formalization. When taking into account the different analytical aspects of discretion, it is concluded that discretion is narrowed only in some respects. There is still space for case officers in selecting and interpreting information and assess-ing the conditions regarding subject matter. https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/pp/article/view/438 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Bengt Larsson Bengt Jacobsson |
spellingShingle |
Bengt Larsson Bengt Jacobsson Discretion in the “Backyard of Law”: Case Handling of Debt Relief in Sweden Professions and Professionalism |
author_facet |
Bengt Larsson Bengt Jacobsson |
author_sort |
Bengt Larsson |
title |
Discretion in the “Backyard of Law”: Case Handling of Debt Relief in Sweden |
title_short |
Discretion in the “Backyard of Law”: Case Handling of Debt Relief in Sweden |
title_full |
Discretion in the “Backyard of Law”: Case Handling of Debt Relief in Sweden |
title_fullStr |
Discretion in the “Backyard of Law”: Case Handling of Debt Relief in Sweden |
title_full_unstemmed |
Discretion in the “Backyard of Law”: Case Handling of Debt Relief in Sweden |
title_sort |
discretion in the “backyard of law”: case handling of debt relief in sweden |
publisher |
Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences |
series |
Professions and Professionalism |
issn |
1893-1049 |
publishDate |
2013-04-01 |
description |
This article explores discretion in welfare professional work. The aim is to analyse what room for discretionary decision-making that exist in case handling of debt relief at the Swedish Enforcement Authority (SEA). The analysis is guided by a conceptual distinction between structural and epistemic aspects of discretion, as well as between substantive and procedural aspects. The data comprises official and internal SEA documents, interviews with management and staff and field notes from observations. The analysis points to a change in the balance between standards and discretion in relation to the on-going formalization of case handling at the SEA, though not in the simplistic sense that discretion is diminished through formalization. When taking into account the different analytical aspects of discretion, it is concluded that discretion is narrowed only in some respects. There is still space for case officers in selecting and interpreting information and assess-ing the conditions regarding subject matter.
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url |
https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/pp/article/view/438 |
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AT bengtlarsson discretioninthebackyardoflawcasehandlingofdebtreliefinsweden AT bengtjacobsson discretioninthebackyardoflawcasehandlingofdebtreliefinsweden |
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