Arbete och redskap i villaträdgården mellan dröm och förverkligande

  • Sjöholm, Carina (Researcher)
  • Saltzman, Katarina (Researcher)
  • Gunnarsson, Allan (Researcher)

Project: Research

Project Details

Description

Gardens and gardening is today surrounded by numerous trends and dreams. The garden is often regarded as a place for leisure and relaxation, but at the same time it puts pressure on its owner to take care of weeding, pruning and other rather strenuous tasks.
Today, more than half the Swedish population lives in single houses (in Swedish: villor) and many consider the garden to be an essential part of their home. The private garden is one of the most important sites for people?s everyday interactions with nature.
Research on single house gardens (villaträdgårdar) and their role in Swedish everyday life has until now been very limited. This project will use methods of cultural analysis to interpret the contemporary Swedish middle class garden from the perspective of its
owners and users. With a specific focus on work and tools in the garden, this project will approach the complex interactions between people, plants and other actors in the garden. Our aim is to examine the interrelations and processes through which these gardens are created and recreated, used and transformed. This will include a critical examination of the dichotomies nature/culture, heritage/change, private/public and work/leisure. Research will be carried out through qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews and ethnographic observations. The project will provide new knowledge on the private garden, and contribute to an understanding of the great interest in gardens and gardening seen today.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date2012/01/012015/12/31