Discovering the understanding of host society's role in sociocultural integration with refugees in Sweden

• Main Author: Sivets, Ala
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Uppsala universitet, Teologiska institutionen 2020
• Subjects: refugee integration; policymaking; power discourse; sociocultural integration; інтэграцыя бежанцаў; фарміраванне палітыкі; дыскурс улады; сацыякультурная інтэграцыя; интеграция беженцев; формирование политики; дискурс власти; социокультурная интеграция; flyktingintegration; beslutsfattande; maktdiskurs; sociokulturell integration; International Migration and Ethnic Relations; Internationell Migration och Etniska Relationer (IMER)
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-424974

In 2015, Sweden was one of the exemplary member states of the European Union that took in a disproportionate number of refugees. Five years later, Sweden has adopted much stricter migration policies restricting access to residence permits and citizenship. The focus has shifted to integration policies aimed at including refugees in the host society. Integration has become widely accepted as a process that is primarily a proactive adaptation and assimilation on the side of the newcomers, rather than a dynamic two-way process. Moreover, this paper argues that integration has largely been reduced to the socio-economic dimension and ignored the sociocultural dimension that is central to the integration process. Using Axel Honneth’s Theory of Recognition as a theoretical base to understand the importance of sociocultural dialogue and interpersonal integration, this paper shines a light on the problematics of current integration policies and its effects. Using empirical research this paper aims to explore the host societies understanding of integration and using Foucauldian discourse analysis the theoretical framework andSaid’s Orientalist critique, expose an underlying power dynamic between host-society and newcomers. Shining light both on governance and socio-cultural dynamics, this paper explores the gap left in sociocultural integration through the lack of dialogue and solidarity has affected the social reality of immigrants in Sweden.