Drömmen om livet nära Bullerbyn : Hur används argument för att övertyga nya inflyttare till Högsby kommun och relatera de till utländska fritidshusköpares motiv?

• Main Author: Kilian, Daniel
• Format: Others
• Language: Swedish
• Published: Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för kulturvetenskaper (KV) 2016
• Subjects: foreign second home owners; second home; Högsby kommun; counterurbanisation; nature and culture; countryside
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-51652

Sweden is a popular holiday destination for people from all over Europe. Its beautiful nature, the possibility of various outdoor-activities and the quintessential Swedish traditions and life-style attract tourists and potential holiday-home-owners alike. Citizens especially from countries such as Denmark, Norway and Germany are buying houses mainly in the southern and western parts of Sweden, searching for a better, easier and more relaxed life in the Swedish countryside. In my study I chose "Högsby kommun", a small municipality situated in the county of Kalmar in Småland as an exemplary case-study to show how Swedish communities deal with the steady decline of inhabitants. The aim of the study is to examine how arguments are used to convince immigrants in moving to Högsby kommun and how they relate to motives of foreign second home owners. Which arguments are used in promoting the place and what kinds of motives have foreign buyers of second homes to choose Högsby kommun as a place to stay? It is a qualitative case study, information is collected through interviews with employee of Högsby kommun and real estate agents, a content analysis of brochures and e-mail questionnaire with second home owners from Germany. The theoretical approaches are counterurbanisation in relation to lifestyle, theory of place identity and promotion of places and research of the motives in buying a second home. The results of the study show that arguments and motives building on each other. The arguments are promoting mainly a beautiful nature, quietness, a relaxed lifestyle and inexpensive housing - all of this are even motives for  foreign second home buyers moving to Högsby kommun.