Develop or preserve? An idea analysis of policy programs for the development of Sami economy and industries.

Abstract

In order to live and create prosperity in the Arctic region, the people living in the area have been required to use the available resources and the characteristics of entrepreneurship and innovation. In the Swedish part of this region, Swedish and Sami societies have lived and developed side by side, and to some extent merged. Due to political decisions and legislation, the economic development of these societies has taken different paths, where the Swedish economy today is described as strong and the Sami economy is described as small-scale and scarce. Studies that would describe and analyze the Sami economy and its drivers from a wider perspective are lacking. This study intends to begin to fill the gap. The purpose of the study is to analyze the Sami political discourse on the development of a Sami economy and how this relates to theories on concepts development of an economy. By studying the Sami Parliament's programs and policies for economic development, the study examines to what degree Sami conceptions of economy and industries can draw on a conceptual framework of entrepreneurship and innovation. The study examined concepts of economic development using an idea analysis method. Main findings are that the Sami Parliament has a focus on preserving traditions and culture in policies dealing with economic development and seems to be supporting industries and businesses that are typically Sami, to preserve Sami culture. However, the study shows that a consistent definition of what the Sami economy or industry is and who or which group it concerns is lacking. Keywords: Sami Parliament, Economy, Industry, Business, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Competition, Indigenous peoples