Time is of the Essence: The Challenges and Achievements of a Swedish Time Banking Initiative

Abstract

This study focuses on the only existing time banking initiative in Sweden – TidsNätverket i Bergsjön (TNB). It explores the organization’s: 1) challenges, 2) achievements with regard to empowering its participants and creating social capital, as well as 3) if these can be attributed to TNB’s use of time banking. The semi-structured interviews and studies of documentation that were carried out in 2008 have been supplemented with additional information derived from the author’s personal experience of being a member of TNB. TNB has faced problems concerning the way that the time credit system functions as well as regarding a lack of long term participants, time shortages and segregation among some of those who partake. TNB has empowered its participants and has fostered an increase in social capital, something that can probably partially be explained by its use of time banking. The paper is concluded with some recommendations as well as some general thoughts on the future role of time banking within the Swedish welfare state.