This thesis looks to explore from a user-centered standpoint, which mobile application features are relevant in the social integration of new arrivals in Sweden. Mobiles are used by individuals who are moving away from home not only to stay connected to their close ones but also as a way for empowerment and adaption in their new homes. Access to information helps immigrants to face the new challenges new host societies present. Nowadays mobiles and more specifically smartphones are becoming the principal sources for new arrivals to obtain information. As mobiles become more common among immigration groups, governments and institutions are turning to them as new ways for addressing migration challenges such as integration. This thesis, through a participatory design study, explores possible mobile digital application features that could be relevant in the social integration of immigrants. The goal is to develop through a cooperative and co-design method a prototype of a mobile application that can fit better with the necessities of new arrivals and can also facilitate better ways for social integration. As a result, it could be determinate that features that provide users the ability to gather information from one source are the most important for immigrants. Additionally, users want to be able to have control over the information they are receiving according to what phase they are at the integration process. Also, digital features seem not to be enough and digital and offline cooperation are suggested. In the process, participants provided innovative ways on how integration challenges can be addressed.

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In the absence of governmental programs which facilitate and support integration, this study looks at strategies that migrants, and in particular migrant children themselves, develop and the experience they have of the process of integration into the South African host society. Thereby, this study assesses the role that informal social networks play for migrant learners at inner-city schools in Johannesburg with regards to their integration into the school environment in particular and into the broader host society in general. Following a case study approach, I primarily focused on the school, namely Jules High School, as an environment where such networks exist since the school environment is considered as a place where social contacts and interactions with the host population necessarily occur that can be vital in support of integration. In order to explore the role of informal social networks for migrant learners, quantitative interviews with 98 Jules High School students (survey) were conducted, complemented by a focus group discussion as well as qualitative interviews with three key informants.

This bachelor's thesis is a qualitative exploratory study. The goal of this research is to learn more about the social integration of Nigerian immigrants in Malmo, Sweden. The study focuses on language because many prior studies have found it to be an important factor in social integration. Although there is a considerable body of studies on how language influences immigrant integration, most studies focus on the host society's perspective. There is less research on how immigrants themselves evaluate the function of language in their social integration. The four dimensions of the social integration theoretical framework proposed by Bosswick and Heckmann (2006) were used to explore how Nigerian immigrants in Malmo, Sweden, perceive language as shaping their social integration in their host country. Their perceptions of these social integration dimensions will aid in understanding how language affects their integration into Swedish society in Malmo. The information was gathered from fifteen Nigerian immigrants in semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that participants value language in varying ways across the many theoretical dimensions of social integration.

This project investigates the role of the built environment in securing our practical and social needs. This is done based on research in the context of Cairo, Egypt. Banati foundation is an organisation established in 2010 which works on the rehabilitation and social reintegration of children in street situations in Cairo. This project takes Banati Foundation as its case study, offering architectural solutions to its process of social and psychological rehabilitation.This project required thorough research methodologies including primary fieldwork such as interviews and site visits, making it a project of co-creation. In building up the programme, the architect’s role was transformed to the additional role of a mediator, gathering information, exposing opportunities and assembling ideas.Banati foundation have existing tangible and intangible infrastructures with different levels of care to offer children a smooth transition into a rehabilitated safe, secure and comfortable life. My project aims to complete the cycle by investigating what being part of the Banati family means, and how Banati’s principles and objectives can extend beyond their institutional care, namely: how can young women moving out of Banati’s home transition smoothly out of their care, while maintaining Banatis role as a forever family?With a careful consideration of the social dimension of architecture, this project hopes to facilitate the final stage of care offered to the young women leaving the foundation upon reaching adulthood. The masterplan tackles questions of how to carve an easier path out of Banati’s care and into society for Banati’s graduates through socially aware architecture.

This qualitative discourse analysis examines the way in which the state’s intervention in issues concerning the public library in Sweden is depicted before the establishment of said institution, and more spefically during the years 1898 to 1903. The general aim of said analysis is to act as a kind of balance to the prevailing representation of the public library as an altogether democratic institution. In summary the public library is presented in the source material as being the solution to an array of societal issues. The background to these matters is furthermore explored to some extent. Among these, pulic library initiatives as one of the components in a larger popular education project can be mentioned. The further goal of this project is in turn to produce a more effective workforce and thereby strengthen the competetivness of the nation’s industries, as well as to function as an intrument for social integration, pacification of the working class, and development of a civic subject position. The theoretical approach has been composed of a number of various orientations. What can be said to be the common denominator of these, is the point of departure in historical materialism, as well as to some extent an understanding of the relation between state and civil society as being integrated in each other, rather than separated by a distinct boundary. In short the study concludes that the subsidization of public libraries by the state constitutes part of the transition from the an industrial capitalism, to that of an organized such. This change is pursued by efforts towards conjuring a mobilization behind the national project, and the strengthening of the nation’s industries in relation to international competition. Simultaneously a form of renegotiation of the social contract takes place, in which the cultivation of the subject position of the citizen as an alternative to that of the class-related subject can be said to be a crucial component. Altogether the long-term purpose of said activities can be interpreted as ways of suppressing an open class conflict, and turning it into a latent one. The public library is presented as a significant component in said process, since it contributes to an increase in the general level of education, an experience of national affinity and participation, as well as a concession to demands for social reforms.

This research was conducted to study the social integration of Syrian refugees in Sweden and their feeling of inclusion in the Swedish society, or exclusion from it. The research also targeted illuminating and analyzing potential reasons for the social exclusion of some Syrian refugees according to first-hand experiences, perspectives, and opinions collected by semi-structured interviews with 10 informants who left Syria due to civil war and sought asylum in Sweden. This paper serves as a platform on which voices and views of Syrian refugees were echoed, and conclusions on their settlement and inclusion in their new country were based on their own feelings, struggles, and matters of their social lives. To achieve that, social, cultural, and human aspects were prioritized over mainstream economic and legal aspects as all informants were documented and integrated into the Swedish labor market or education system.  Nonetheless, the study results have shown a worrying lack of social inclusion that Syrian refugees have experienced so far in their new country, reducing them into underprivileged, ethnic social circles where they had limited access to social networks from different backgrounds, resources, and opportunity. The nature of the Swedish society, as well as the negative image of Syrian refugees, Ethnic-segregated residencies, cultural incompatibility, and racism, were found to be the main reasons behind this phenomenon

This paper examines, through questionnaire, how young students in upper secondary school in Malmo experience social integration. It also contain what they think should be done in order to improve the integration between youth that are ethnic Swedish and youth that have a foreign background. To understand the subject we started with a review over Swedish integration politic and its influence over Malmo and social integration in the country. We have used such theoretical starting points as identity and ethnicity in relations to the social surroundings, social affinity theory and flexible mindedness, making of groups among youth and factors to promote social integration. Our conclusion is that the experience of social integration between the two groups depends on how you experience yourself. If you feel like a Swedish person you more likely experience a mix of relationships but if you feel like an immigrant you feel like there’s a big division between both groups. Another conclusion is that the youth wants to be involved in the process of making their surrounding social integrated.

Loneliness is a critical factor that can significantly affect an individual's health and well-being, especially for older adults. Since they are more vulnerable to suffering life transitions, older people are more likely to experience loneliness than people of younger ages. The fast break out and spread of COVID-19 exacerbated the difficulty of their social connections and intensified their feelings of loneliness. Consequently, effective interventions for the aged, particularly effective ones suited to special occasions, are of vital relevance. Consequently, effective interventions for the aged, particularly effective ones suited to special occasions, are of vital relevance. As one of the widely mentioned and applied gerontology theories, the activity theory has been well-studied previously to elucidate the effectiveness of leisure activity participation in reducing lonely feelings. It is worth noting that no one solution works for everyone. This thesis examines the alleviating roles of four types of social activities on loneliness in older Americans considering individual differences, including marital, job, and physical health background. Sample data is from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) survey. This thesis collected respondents over 50 years old and included a sample of 4,506. According to previous studies, control variables include age, gender, race and ethnicity, years of education, and health components (self-rated health and memory, COVID infection, and depressive symptoms). The thesis divides social activities into highly productive-active, moderately productive-active, moderately productive-sedentary and consumptive activity. Through three-group regression analysis, this thesis concludes that: (i) highly productive-active activity was the most practical way to reduce loneliness for vulnerable groups; (ii) moderately productive-active activity had the best utility on the elderly who already maintained good social relationships and health status; (iii) moderately productive-sedentary was the only activity type not useful for all groups. (iv) consumptive activity presents a protective tendency towards older people disadvantaged in work but not towards married and partnered people. Meanwhile, the thesis also proposes other classification methods involving activities' cultural and symbolic meanings. The thesis states that activities with spiritual power could better alleviate the loneliness of vulnerable groups, and the symbolic meaning of daily life activity (routine activity) could protect the elderly from isolated feelings caused by being forced out of society to some extent. The repetitive life patterns keep the elderly from inordinate life and psychological gaps. The contribution of the thesis consists of two aspects. First, the thesis maps leisure activities into a three-dimensional system, divided by practical activity attributes for loneliness. From the process of grouping and categorizing, it is possible to provide a more practical understanding of the social connection. Second, the thesis demonstrates the necessity to consider the diversity of older people. Activities were associated differently with loneliness in groups with distinct characteristics. The thesis found that context discrepancy profoundly affects the effectiveness of interventions.

This text sets out to shed light on certain aspects of immigrant integration in Sweden. Focus for this study was immigrants’ social integration, i.e., creating personal long-term connections with members of the host society. This study’s aim is to examine the role language cafés as regularly conducted by, for example, non-profit organisations and the Swedish church play in immigrants’ social integration into the Swedish society. Language cafés bring together newly arrived immigrants and residents that have established a living in Sweden; these range from ethnic Swedes to other former immigrants with varying backgrounds and ethnicities. During the meetings, participants practice the Swedish language in a casual way with focus on everyday life while enjoying Swedish fika together. Given the general set up of language cafés and the fact that everyone participates voluntarily, these intercultural meetings lead, in some cases, to lasting contacts between immigrants and residents outside the language practicing activity. In relation to social integration, the question this study seeks to answer is therefore: how do intercultural meetings at language cafés support contacts between immigrants and residents, and in what ways do these contacts facilitate social integration? For this study, interviews were conducted with six former participants of language cafés in various locations in Sweden. These interviews built the basis for conducting a thematic analysis; it shows that people’s intercultural meetings at language cafés can lead to minor and medium sized contact networks that promote several aspects of social integration such as professional development, physical and mental health benefits, and friendships. In this study, these emerging connections are analysed and explained through theoretical framework related to intercultural meetings and communication.