Purpose
The study explores how Swedish municipalities adapt national market-oriented policies to local contexts in the organisation of the kindergarten sector. The study investigates how municipalities influence, support and control private actors through market-shaping activities. The aim is to understand the consequences of different organisational approaches to quality, diversity and competition in the local kindergarten market.
Result
The results show that Swedish municipalities vary significantly in how they organise and regulate local kindergarten markets, from being passive to very active market shapers. The municipalities can be classified into three ideal types: 1) Frontier, which is passive and has limited regulation, 2) Keeper, which seeks to balance public and private provision, and 3) Endorser, which actively promotes private actors. These differences mean that the quality, the variety of provision and the ease of obtaining a place in kindergarten vary depending on what is prioritised in each municipality and the choices made by local authorities.
Design
The study uses a qualitative method based on document analyses and semi-structured interviews with municipal representatives from 30 Swedish municipalities, selected according to the size of their private kindergarten sector. The data include documents and websites from the municipalities, as well as interviews with 35 public officials responsible for quality, licensing and supervision in the kindergarten sector. The analysis focuses on organisational elements such as membership, rules, monitoring, sanctions and information. The aim is to shed light on how the municipalities adapt national regulations to local contexts.
References
Carlbaum, S., Lindgren, J., Benerdal, M., & Rönnberg, L. (2024). The local market makers: Swedish municipalities as preschool quasi-market organisers. Education Inquiry, 15(1), 63–84.
Online year: 2023
Issue year: 2024
Review year: 2023
Financed by
The Swedish Research Council, Sweden