Temporalitet och social ordning : en tidssociologisk diskussion utifrån vårdpersonals uppfattningar om handlingsmöjligheter i arbetet

Sammanfattning: The primary aim of the thesis is to develop a theoretical frame of reference concerning the significance of temporality for social order, how it is created, maintained and how it can be changed in interaction. The theoretical frame of reference is developed gradually and is considered as heuristic. Emphasis is placed on temporal orientation, i.e. the dimension of meaning, while temporal order is analyzed only as aspects of it appear in the interviews, which constitute the empirical basis for the discussion. The interactionist stance in this thesis implies that the emphasis is placed on the subjects interpretation of the temporal aspects.The data consists of semistructured interviews with totally 87 employees at two hospital wards in Sweden. The qualitative analyses in the thesis is inspired by 'grounded theory' approach.The dissertation consists of three parts. Part I consists of an introduction and a discussion of temporality which is then conceptualized in terms of temporal order and temporal orientation. In part II the emphasis is placed on biographical time. The concepts biographical scheme andcareer, which are related to socialization, are chosen for analytical purposes. In part III the theoretical frame of reference is developed through a discussion of temporal aspects in the definition of situation. The biography, an individuals experiences in past, present and expectations of future, is thus put in relation to reference groups and social worlds, which point out for example the significance of social memory for the definition of reality.The results show the significance of temporal orientation and temporal order for individual and group interpretation of the social reality at their place of work. Biographical schemes, careers and social norms connected to them are important elements in the interpretation of the social order and of the possibilities to change it. Different experiences of educational and occupational socialization implied conflicting definitions of occupational roles and core activities within and between the occupational groups, which were important for changes in the social order. Work routines and social status as a senior in an occupational group were important for reproducing the social order.