samhällsbaserad

Samhällsbaserad is a Swedish adjective used to describe approaches, programs or knowledge production that are anchored in, or oriented toward, a community or society as a whole. The term signals an emphasis on local relevance, participation and empowerment, rather than solutions delivered solely by central authorities or external experts. In practice, samhällsbaserad work involves stakeholders such as residents, civil society organizations, local authorities and service users in planning, implementing and evaluating initiatives.

Common contexts include samhällsbaserad vård (community-based care), which delivers health services close to or within local settings and integrates patient and family input; and samhällsbaserad forskning (community-based research), or community-based participatory research, which aims to co-produce knowledge with community members to address real-world problems. The approach is often tied to aims like health equity, social inclusion, prevention and sustainable impact, with attention to local conditions and resources.

A key distinction is its bottom-up orientation: decisions and actions are shaped by those affected, not solely by external experts. However, the term is not a formal methodology but a descriptive label that can vary across sectors, including public health, social work, urban planning and education. Related concepts include co-production, participatory planning and user-driven innovation.

Critiques and challenges include the need for time, trust-building and resources to support meaningful participation; risks of tokenism or unequal power dynamics; and questions about scalability and transferability of locally rooted solutions. Overall, samhällsbaserad approaches seek to align initiatives with community needs and capacities through active collaboration.