Riskfyllt vatten : Hur individen skapar sig en förståelse av oväntad parasitförekomst i dricksvattnet

Risky water How the individual makes sense of unexpected parasites in the drinking water This quick response study was carried out with the aim to study how individuals made sense of the outbreak of the parasite Cryptosporidium in the drinking water in Ostersund. In total 24 interviews were made with people in Ostersund. The result shows that the interviewees related to social as well as spatial dimensions when they made sense of this risky situation, which can be understood in relation to the concept of sensemaking of risk. Six groups among the interviewees emerged in the analysis, illustrating how different aspects of the risk where focused in the process of sensemaking. Further, the study shows that the process of sensemaking was built upon direct as well as indirect social relations, where the interviewees made sense of the risk by relating to people who were close to them as well as to people to whom they had no personal relation. These indirect social relations were defined as: elderly, children and people in other countries, which also points at the fact that the interviewees made sense of the risk in a global context. Finally, the results suggest that social relations could be further explored in future studies in sensemaking of risk.

Ungdomars samtal kring risker i trafiken : Relationen mellan riskförståelse och platsanknytning

Young people talking about risk in traffic milieus: the relationship between sensemaking of risk and place attachment This explorative study investigates the relationship between sensemaking of risk and place attachment among young people. Traffic safety behaviours are focused. Eight focus group interviews have been done, with a total number of 36 interviewees in the age of 16–20 years. Half of the groups where made in Greater Stockholm, and half in the county of Jämtland. Four aspects of place attachment where explored. The results show that particularly socialbelonging is of a great matter within young people’s sensemaking of risk in this context. The study implies the importance of further studies of sensemaking of risk in general, and of young people’s sensemaking of risk in traffic milieus in particular.