Delningens dolda drivkrafter: En fallstudie av Fixoteket i Göteborg

Abstract

This study examines how perceived accessibility and distance decay interact with social and psychological factors in the use of local sharing initiatives. The study is conducted as a case study of Fixoteket in Gothenburg, with Fixoteket in Hammarkullen as primary focus. Through five semi-structured interviews and five participatory observations at Fixoteket in Hammarkullen, Ranneberg and Frölunda, this study analyses which factors function as barriers and enablers for participation, as well as what benefits the initiative generates beyond resource efficiency through sharing. The results show that social factors such as community, a sense of belonging, and social rituals around visits constitute the primary drivers for participation, while psychological barriers, related to competence, shame and digital exclusion are the most significant barriers. Distance decay proves to be a relative, rather than an absolute phenomenon, where visibility and social presence dictate the significance of physical distance. The study further shows that Fixoteket generates a wide spectrum of benefits beyond main functions. For example, integration, language development and reduced isolation, benefits that exceed and partly fall outside the goals of the initiative. This study provides a contribution through the identification of a reciprocal relationship. The social aspects are not only a prerequisite for sharing, but the sharing infrastructure generates social life that would otherwise not have existed.