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Transportation accounts for a large and growing part of carbon dioxide emissions. With an increasing vehicle fleet worldwide private car use is becoming an acute problem in need of urgent attention and action. Policy interference and cleaner cars are not enough; alternative fuel vehicles such as electric vehicles need to be adopted by consumers as well. Previous research on pro-environmental consumer behavior and sustainable consumption has proven the importance of norms and pro-environmental attitudes. However, little research has focused on understanding interpersonal influence found influential in consumer behavior research relating to innovation adoption. Consumer opinion leading and opinion seeking are two such interpersonal influence attitudinal constructs that have not been empirically analyzed in relation to sustainable consumption and alternative fuel vehicles. The main aim of this study is thus to analyze the influence of a set of attitudinal constructs on electric and flexfuel vehicle adoption: personal norms, social norms, ecological attitudes, opinion leading, and opinion seeking. Data from a questionnaire survey on three groups of electric vehicle adopters and non-adopters is used (N=1,192). The results confirm the importance of personal norms, opinion leading and opinion seeking in the three groups also when controlling for socio-demographic factors. The main contribution of this study is that it shows the importance of both interpersonal influence and attitudinal factors as drivers for eco-innovation adoption. The study also contributes in showing that electric vehicle and flexfuel vehicle adopters differ in relation to non-adopters on several factors.

In 1990, a government commission was formed with the task of improving care and services to persons with serious psychiatric disabilities. The government bill that resulted from the work of the Commission constitutes an attempt to clarify the responsibility of the municipal social services for residential and occupational services. The Swedish Mental Health Reform came into eff ect in 1995. The aims of the thesis are to describe, analyze and critically review the planning and implementation of the Reform and to present it within a historical perspective on caregiving.

The thesis consists of two case-studies: One encompassing fi ve municipalities and their method of planning and implementing the Reform. The second is about a vocational rehabilitation project for persons with psychiatric disabilities which began in connection with the Reform. In addition to the two component studies, the substance of the report is composed of comprehensive written material. In the analysis it becomes evident that the report of the Commission is a document characterised by a strong ideology and one that takes a position regarding the questions of division of responsibility and work methods. The Commission’s problem lies in diffi culties in delineating and defi ning the target group.

The result from the studies shows that the boundaries of responsibility between the social services and psychiatric care organization have become clearer, but grey zones continue to exist in the areas of rehabilitation and outpatient care.

Few local policians, and a very small part of the local administrations were involved in the implementation of the Reform — the responsibility has rested with certain key individuals. The implementation has not been promoted by specifi c strong professions, and many eff orts to re-educate personell have been half-hearted and based on “old” knowledge. Personnel in the new settings express uncertainty, as they are unclear as to the expectations of the organization — those who were recruited from psychiatric care often feel degraded and insuffi ciently utilized.

User- and family organizations have, in connection with the Reform, built up and developed their activities by means of earmarked funding provided by the state. As a result, an alternative knowledge base has developed in relation to work with the psychiatrically disabled.

A conclusion is that the implementation of the Reform has been diffi cult, but that it is far from a complete failure. There are just too many positive experiences. However, much of the success must be attributed to the funding by the state.

The long-term discourse will take shape and depend on how enduring the early initiatives prove to be.