Transformed Institutionalization. A Literature-Based Study of ‘Independent Living’ Among Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in Three Nordic Countries

This article explores the ‘transformed institutionalization’ of individuals with intellectual disabilities in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. The concept refers to how living arrangements formally classified as non-institutional settings in practice retain key features of traditional institutions. This is a critical, thematic study based on literature from a wide-ranging field, aiming to offer a nuanced understanding of the challenges in achieving full deinstitutionalization. Three institutional trends are scrutinized across the three countries: (1) the increasing number of residents per unit, (2) the persistence of institutional cultures, and (3) the lack of individualized support. In accordance with the argument that deinstitutionalization did not eliminate the mechanisms of control but rather transformed them, we argue that institutional logics persist and transform in ostensibly post-institutional settings. Examining this ‘transformed institutionalization’ also calls into question the Nordic countries’ reputation as leaders in the development of social welfare services for people with intellectual disabilities.