Det var en lyckad semester! Semesterfirande svenskars preferenser år 1938-1959

Sammanfattning: This licentiate thesis analyzes preferences among Swedish vacationers during the period of 1938-1959. The aim of the thesis is to closely examine these preferences in order to contribute to a more fully developed understanding of holiday-related consumption during the period. The thesis provides an in-depth analysis of the contents of the preferences and also analyzes the kind of consumption related to those preferences. The material on which this thesis is based consists of written recollections gathered from informants who, in response to a list of questions, described their own, past holiday experiences.An important overall result is that holidaymakers desired change. Informants sought contrast to their everyday lives. The strong desire for change had an impact on all areas of holidaymaking. Informants believed that the best way to relax was through a complete break from their ordinary lives. They appreciated meeting new people, being in new places and seeing different natural surroundings than what they encountered on a daily basis. All this meant that they needed to go away. Consequently, travelling was highly appreciated by the informants.The strong desire for change and the different expressions this took has not been fully understood before, nor has it been known that travelling was of such importance already at this time. That change and travel were such important aspects of holiday life provided strong incentives for consumption. A journey often required several modes of consumption, not only those that were directly travel-related. Travelling promoted consumption in a dynamic manner.