The aim of this thesis is to study how actors from the public, private and voluntary sector collaborate in a Swedish municipality in order to lower the youth unemployment in that municipality and also to study how power relations between these actors manifests themselves in the collaborations. The thesis uses Stein Bråten’s theory of power called ”model power” and Steven Lukes’ theory of power called ”the three dimensions of power” in order to analyze the power relations. The thesis is using the methods of a case study where the collaboration between the actors is the case that is being examined. The thesis consists of seven different interviews in order to gather material; three interviews from the public sector, three from the private and one from the voluntary sector.

The study shows that a mix of vertical and horizontal network governance is being used in the collaboration. It also shows that formal exercises of power are mostly being used by public actors, because of regulatory documents, in order to govern the collaboration networks. The informal exercises of power are not quite as affective and are being used by actors from all sectors in different ways. Examples of informal exercise of power can be seen in how the municipality of Haninge influences private actors to take more responsibility in society through the ideas of corporate social responsibility. This example has actually helped the actors to reach a consensus in the aims of that particular collaboration.