Locality Research and Comparative Analysis: The Case of Local Housing Policy in Sweden

A method is described to trace ‘locality’, or spatial variations in policy, through comparative analysis. It is argued that the problem of structure versus agency can never be solved once and for all by philosophical arguments, but always has to be rephrased into empirically manageable terms. This is possible through use of the ‘most similar’ approach of comparative analysis. When external structural determinants of policy are kept under control, local variations can be traced back to locally specific determinants. These determinants must be examined in depth through case studies. This also paves the way for empirically based counterfactual reasoning. Thus, the extent to which local actors are not just forced by structural determinants to act in a certain way can be estimated. The general approach is illustrated by reference to a case study of local housing policies in Sweden. Some critical questions are raised. One must not forget that structures and actors, whether national or local, are inseparably bound up with processes, and that ‘structures’ are always just crystallised results of human action.