Joachim Åström
Biographic Data
| ID | 3478724 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Joachim Åström |
| GIVEN NAMES | Joachim |
| FAMILY NAME | Åström |
| SIGNATURE | ÅSTRÖM J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Örebro University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7291-2875 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 69 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 15 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2022 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
The grey digital divide and welfare state regimes
Purpose Technology access, digital skills, and digital services are increasingly prerequisites for public life and accessing public services. The digital divide in contemporary societies matters for efforts to digitalize the welfare state. Research has already mapped individual determinants of digital exclusion and the existence of an age-related digital divide. However, far less attention has been paid to variations in digital inclusion between …
Does Policy Influence Hollow Out Public Managers’ Political Neutrality
Consequences of public officials’ policy influence have been at the center of debates on political–administrative relations. Based on a survey of public managers in Swedish local government ( N = 1,430), this study examines whether policy politics hollows out political neutrality. The analysis shows that although managers are highly involved in policy politics, attitudinal support for the neutrality principle is strong. The enquiry into behaviora…
Democratic Innovation in Times of Crisis
The Estonian Citizens’ Assembly (ECA) was initiated in late 2012 as a direct consequence of a legitimacy crisis of Estonian political parties and representative institutions. The spark igniting this crisis was the unraveling of a scheme of illegal party financing. The response from governmental institutions took the form of a democratic innovation involving public crowd‐sourcing and deliberative mini‐publics. This study reports on a survey among …
Participatory Urban Planning
Based on the critical stance of citizens towards urban planning, growing attention has been directed towards new forms of citizen participation. A key expectation is that advanced digital technologies will reconnect citizens and decision makers and enhance trust in planning. However, empirical evidence suggests participation by itself does not foster trust, and many scholars refer to a general weakness of these initiatives to deliver the expected…
Citizen Participation
Citizen participation is at the heart of democracy. Unless citizens can participate freely in the government process, democracy is not possible. While voting has been the primary way for individual citizens to make their voices heard in the political system, social changes and technical advancements have brought about an expansion of political activities. In keeping up with these changes, conceptualizations of citizen participation have been cont…
Social media and political communication
As the Internet has come to play a greater role in politics, there has been a growing scholarly interest in how digital and social media are changing politics. The competition between the innovation and normalization hypotheses has been at the center of the debate. This article sets out to identify evidence of innovation and normalization in terms of how politicians communicate in- and the level of influence they are attaining within the politica…
The feminine style, the male influence, and the paradox of gendered political blogspace
This article explores gender differences in political communication among blogging politicians. The article sets out to explore two baseline questions: (1) Are distinct gendered ‘blogstyles’ to be found among political representatives? and (2) How do gender and gendered blogstyles interplay and affect the impact of political blogs? The empirical study draws on a survey targeting blogging politicians in Sweden (N = 523). The analysis identifies su…
The political blog space
While the academic interest in the political blogosphere has grown exponentially in recent years, existing research is predominantly dedicated to political campaigning. In view of the “diminishing prestige of the electoral process” and the “rise of new forms of legitimacy” a broader political analysis of blogs is called for. This article investigates whether the political blogosphere is an arena for political representation by asking (1) how repr…
Blogging in the Shadow of Parties
Blogging is an increasingly important practice in election campaigns, showing interesting variations across contexts. Recent research has shown that the adoption and use of blogs is strongly shaped by national institutional settings, that is, the different roles given to parties within political systems. However, intra-national differences in the practice of political blogging are yet to be explained. This article investigates the variation in us…
You can't make this a science!” — Analyzing decision support systems in political contexts
Understanding the rise of e-participation in non-democracies
Apple Pie–Spinach Metaphor
Despite claims that planners' attitude towards public participation has not always been enthusiastic, there have been genuine attempts to devolve powers through participation—although seldom with success. In this paper we discuss several major attempts to improve participation in Sweden including case studies of e-participation. Despite great expectations on information and communication technologies, Swedish experience indicates that the status …
Perceptions of Power in Regional Networks
The aim of this article is to explore the differentiated attitudes towards power in Nordic regional networks. The analysis draws upon a unique comparative survey targeting regional network participants in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Three specific issues of power are studied: (1) the perceived influence of different actors in regional networks, (2) the perceived mandate of network members, and (3) the perceived impact of networks on regi…
Urban Planners, Wired for Change
What do elites really mean when they display positive attitudes toward increased citizen participation via ICTs? Are they aiming for institutional change or the reinforcement of existing institutions? What are the assumptions that underlie and condition support for e-participa-tion? In addressing these questions, this article draws upon a survey questionnaire mapping the support for e-participation in the field of urban planning, targeting the he…
Why Regionalism in Sweden
Why has the regional issue become important in Sweden, a unitary state with strong central and local levels? This question is analysed with help of three explanatory theses: Europeanization, intra-national driving forces and regional mobilization from below. The argument is that underlying intranational forces of decentralization and regional complexity motivates a stronger regional level, but that Europeanization often triggers off processes— of…
Understanding the rise of e-participation in non-democracies
Blogging in the Shadow of Parties
Blogging is an increasingly important practice in election campaigns, showing interesting variations across contexts. Recent research has shown that the adoption and use of blogs is strongly shaped by national institutional settings, that is, the different roles given to parties within political systems. However, intra-national differences in the practice of political blogging are yet to be explained. This article investigates the variation in us…
The political blog space
While the academic interest in the political blogosphere has grown exponentially in recent years, existing research is predominantly dedicated to political campaigning. In view of the “diminishing prestige of the electoral process” and the “rise of new forms of legitimacy” a broader political analysis of blogs is called for. This article investigates whether the political blogosphere is an arena for political representation by asking (1) how repr…
Social media and political communication
As the Internet has come to play a greater role in politics, there has been a growing scholarly interest in how digital and social media are changing politics. The competition between the innovation and normalization hypotheses has been at the center of the debate. This article sets out to identify evidence of innovation and normalization in terms of how politicians communicate in- and the level of influence they are attaining within the politica…
Why Regionalism in Sweden
Why has the regional issue become important in Sweden, a unitary state with strong central and local levels? This question is analysed with help of three explanatory theses: Europeanization, intra-national driving forces and regional mobilization from below. The argument is that underlying intranational forces of decentralization and regional complexity motivates a stronger regional level, but that Europeanization often triggers off processes— of…
Does Policy Influence Hollow Out Public Managers’ Political Neutrality
Consequences of public officials’ policy influence have been at the center of debates on political–administrative relations. Based on a survey of public managers in Swedish local government ( N = 1,430), this study examines whether policy politics hollows out political neutrality. The analysis shows that although managers are highly involved in policy politics, attitudinal support for the neutrality principle is strong. The enquiry into behaviora…
You can't make this a science!” — Analyzing decision support systems in political contexts
Urban Planners, Wired for Change
What do elites really mean when they display positive attitudes toward increased citizen participation via ICTs? Are they aiming for institutional change or the reinforcement of existing institutions? What are the assumptions that underlie and condition support for e-participa-tion? In addressing these questions, this article draws upon a survey questionnaire mapping the support for e-participation in the field of urban planning, targeting the he…
Why Regionalism in Sweden
Why has the regional issue become important in Sweden, a unitary state with strong central and local levels? This question is analysed with help of three explanatory theses: Europeanization, intra-national driving forces and regional mobilization from below. The argument is that underlying intranational forces of decentralization and regional complexity motivates a stronger regional level, but that Europeanization often triggers off processes— of…
Urban Planners, Wired for Change
What do elites really mean when they display positive attitudes toward increased citizen participation via ICTs? Are they aiming for institutional change or the reinforcement of existing institutions? What are the assumptions that underlie and condition support for e-participa-tion? In addressing these questions, this article draws upon a survey questionnaire mapping the support for e-participation in the field of urban planning, targeting the he…
Perceptions of Power in Regional Networks
The aim of this article is to explore the differentiated attitudes towards power in Nordic regional networks. The analysis draws upon a unique comparative survey targeting regional network participants in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Three specific issues of power are studied: (1) the perceived influence of different actors in regional networks, (2) the perceived mandate of network members, and (3) the perceived impact of networks on regi…
Apple Pie–Spinach Metaphor
Despite claims that planners' attitude towards public participation has not always been enthusiastic, there have been genuine attempts to devolve powers through participation—although seldom with success. In this paper we discuss several major attempts to improve participation in Sweden including case studies of e-participation. Despite great expectations on information and communication technologies, Swedish experience indicates that the status …
You can't make this a science!” — Analyzing decision support systems in political contexts
Understanding the rise of e-participation in non-democracies
Blogging in the Shadow of Parties
Blogging is an increasingly important practice in election campaigns, showing interesting variations across contexts. Recent research has shown that the adoption and use of blogs is strongly shaped by national institutional settings, that is, the different roles given to parties within political systems. However, intra-national differences in the practice of political blogging are yet to be explained. This article investigates the variation in us…
The political blog space
While the academic interest in the political blogosphere has grown exponentially in recent years, existing research is predominantly dedicated to political campaigning. In view of the “diminishing prestige of the electoral process” and the “rise of new forms of legitimacy” a broader political analysis of blogs is called for. This article investigates whether the political blogosphere is an arena for political representation by asking (1) how repr…
The feminine style, the male influence, and the paradox of gendered political blogspace
This article explores gender differences in political communication among blogging politicians. The article sets out to explore two baseline questions: (1) Are distinct gendered ‘blogstyles’ to be found among political representatives? and (2) How do gender and gendered blogstyles interplay and affect the impact of political blogs? The empirical study draws on a survey targeting blogging politicians in Sweden (N = 523). The analysis identifies su…
Social media and political communication
As the Internet has come to play a greater role in politics, there has been a growing scholarly interest in how digital and social media are changing politics. The competition between the innovation and normalization hypotheses has been at the center of the debate. This article sets out to identify evidence of innovation and normalization in terms of how politicians communicate in- and the level of influence they are attaining within the politica…
Citizen Participation
Citizen participation is at the heart of democracy. Unless citizens can participate freely in the government process, democracy is not possible. While voting has been the primary way for individual citizens to make their voices heard in the political system, social changes and technical advancements have brought about an expansion of political activities. In keeping up with these changes, conceptualizations of citizen participation have been cont…
Participatory Urban Planning
Based on the critical stance of citizens towards urban planning, growing attention has been directed towards new forms of citizen participation. A key expectation is that advanced digital technologies will reconnect citizens and decision makers and enhance trust in planning. However, empirical evidence suggests participation by itself does not foster trust, and many scholars refer to a general weakness of these initiatives to deliver the expected…
Democratic Innovation in Times of Crisis
The Estonian Citizens’ Assembly (ECA) was initiated in late 2012 as a direct consequence of a legitimacy crisis of Estonian political parties and representative institutions. The spark igniting this crisis was the unraveling of a scheme of illegal party financing. The response from governmental institutions took the form of a democratic innovation involving public crowd‐sourcing and deliberative mini‐publics. This study reports on a survey among …
The grey digital divide and welfare state regimes
Purpose Technology access, digital skills, and digital services are increasingly prerequisites for public life and accessing public services. The digital divide in contemporary societies matters for efforts to digitalize the welfare state. Research has already mapped individual determinants of digital exclusion and the existence of an age-related digital divide. However, far less attention has been paid to variations in digital inclusion between …
Does Policy Influence Hollow Out Public Managers’ Political Neutrality
Consequences of public officials’ policy influence have been at the center of debates on political–administrative relations. Based on a survey of public managers in Swedish local government ( N = 1,430), this study examines whether policy politics hollows out political neutrality. The analysis shows that although managers are highly involved in policy politics, attitudinal support for the neutrality principle is strong. The enquiry into behaviora…
Political science (14 works) · Politics (12 works) · Law (11 works) · Social Media and Politics (11 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Public relations (9 works) · Law (8 works) · Democracy (7 works) · E-Government and Public Services (6 works) · Economics (6 works)