Björn Andersson

Senior Lecturer

Department of Social

Work

Mail

bjorn.andersson@socwork.gu.se

Visiting address

Sprängkullsgatan 25

41123 Göteborg

Postal address

Box 720

40530 Göteborg

About Björn Andersson

Areas of expertise I am primarily working in relation to four different subject areas:

Social work focusing on outreach approach, prevention work, social pedagogy and social mobilization
Spatial and social aspects of public life
Young people and youth questions
Housing and the social relations of neighbourhoods

Research interest/finished projects I have taken part in several studies concerning issues of housing, suburban social life and community work. I have also carried out several evaluations of youth work projects. My thesis was about young people's movements in public areas and their appropriation of public space.

During recent years I have been working on studies of prevention work in schools and also drug prevention activities in public entertainments and pleasure. Currently I am completing research on how a number of secondary schools in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö are working with social prevention in connection to drugs.

I have also recently written an overview over outreach work with adults and young adults in Sweden.

Current Research Project Currently I am the project leader for a research project called "The social life of parks and squares". It is a three-year study (2009-2011), funded by the Swedish Research Council. The research focuses on the informal interaction between various groups who meet in public places. The empirical basis of the study is two public areas in Gothenburg where people have different views on how the actual site should be defined and used.

The purpose is to gain knowledge about how public life serve as a foundation for social experience of other groups, and how these experiences affect attitudes and actions.

Furthermore, we investigate which role the sense of security/insecurity plays when people form knowledge of one another and how this affects the ability to develop sustainable social relations.

Teaching My pedagogical experiences comprise all levels of the Social Work education. Mainly I work with courses focusing social pedagogy, empowerment and social work with young people.

I have been course coordinator for a number of courses and served as director of studies in two periods. Member of the department board for several periods and I have participated in a number of co-operative groups within the department and the faculty.

The international collaboration involves several countries among them: Uruguay, Russia, South Africa and Britain.

Publications Selected publications before 2002:

Andersson B (1983): Ett elevprojekt i Hammarkullen. Forskningsstiftelsen för Samhällsplanering, byggnadsplanering och projektering, rapport 1.83. Andersson B (1985): Ungdomsårens historia i Lundmark L-E & Stridsman K (red) Se'n kommer en annan tid. Stockholm: Liber Andersson B & Olsson S (1986): Att förändra förorten. Byggforskningsrådet R30:1986 Andersson B, Jonasson K & Olsson S (1988): Experimenthuset i Järnbrott. Stockholm: Byggforskningsrådet T8:1988 Andersson B (1989): Hålabäck – utvärdering av ett om¬rådsarbete. Stockholm: RSFH:s förlag. Andersson B (1992): Ungdomars deltagande i Sundh K & Turunen P Social mobilisering. Stockholm: Publica Andersson B (1995): Strul-projektet. Institutionen för socialt arbete, Göteborgs universitet. Andersson B (1997): Angeredsfestivalen. Institutionen för socialt arbete, Göteborgs universitet.