<p>Gender politics in Sweden is considered unique because gender policies (jämställdhet) are integrated into national politics and politicised both in the public and the private sphere. The Swedish case is therefore considered a role model by many feminist scholars.</p><p>This view has been criticised by both post modern feminists and public administration scholars. Critics imply that the increased immigration and more heterogeneous population have led to a new challenge for state institutions. The Swedish model, with its universal welfare solutions, lacks the ability to recognise differences within groups. Universal solutions that treat everyone the same is no longer the most just way to treat people.</p><p>The growing use of goal orientation in Swedish public administration has increased the civil servants discretion in the implementation process, and thereby the space for differentiated treatment. This thesis aims to study the civil servants that implement gender policies in every day practice. It is focused on their interpretations of gender and gender equality and how this affects their exercise of authority. The thesis is a case study of two authorities in a heterogeneous area – the northern part of Botkyrka.</p><p>By using a two-fold theoretical approach and combine two perspectives, feminism and a policy analysis, the study analyses how the front-line bureaucrats handle the tension between the universal welfare politics and the demands of the immigrants. The first theoretical approach presents two different feminist perspectives: one that values economic redistribution and one that find it more fair to recognise differences between women. The second approach introduces theories on implementation that makes it possible to study how interpretations have an impact on the exercise of authority in front-line bureaucracies.</p><p>The main result of the study is that the front-line bureaucrats’ interpretations differ from the national gender politics. They have a more differentiated view of women than the universal Swedish gender politics. The study also shows that front-line bureaucrats tend to attribute negative cultural factors to immigrants. These prejudices find their way through the bureaucracy, into the public administration and the exercise of authority.</p>

Föreliggande avhandling har som syfte att belysa, analysera och diskutera hur unga människor berättar om sina erfarenheter av att tvingas bryta upp från sitt hemland och börja om i ett nytt land under sin skolgång. Åtta unga vuxna, fyra kvinnor och fyra män, deltog i livsberättelseintervjuer kring detta tema. Den teoretiska referensramen innefattar begreppen identitet i det senmoderna samhället, identitet som berättelse samt globaliseringens olika villkor i form av kategorierna turister och vagabonder, där de förstnämnda har tillgång till världen och de sistnämnda stängs ute. Vidare tas upp begreppet livschanser, vilket berör relationen mellan människors mål och ambitioner och deras möjligheter att realisera desamma. Resultatet presenteras dels i en tematiserad del, dels i en del där tre av deltagarnas berättelser presenteras som profiler. Den tematiserade delen presenterar hur deltagarna berättar om att komma till Sverige, om att börja skolan, och om att skapa ett liv här. Huvudresultaten i denna del rör upplevelser av den första tiden i Sverige, språket som en nyckel, skolans roll, familj, vänskap och identitet samt deltagarnas förhållningssätt till dessa aspekter i berättelserna. Ur några av deltagarnas berättelser uttolkas också mer tydliga strategier, och dessa fokuseras tillsammans med identitet ytterligare i den andra resultatdelen genom tre profiler, vilka har benämnts utanförskap som identitet, en kluven identitet och aktivitet som identitet. I avhandlingens diskussion behandlas metodologiska överväganden, därefter vidtar en resultatdiskussion vilken fokuserar på aspekter av uppbrottets konsekvenser i relation till de teoretiska begreppen livschanser, vagabonder, risk/tillit och identitet. Här behandlas också olika verktyg för identitetsskapande i berättelserna samt hur identiteter berättas i materialet.   Den övergripande slutsatsen är att det inte är fruktbart att betrakta invandrare eller flyktingar som en homogen grupp. Deltagarna i föreliggande studie liknar varandra i stor utsträckning, och det finns likheter mellan deras berättelser, men de berättar också om skilda erfarenheter, förhållningssätt och identiteter. Detta ger liv åt, och empiriskt grundat stöd för, det slitna uttrycket ”vi måste se till individen”, också när det gäller barn och ungdomar med erfarenheter av att kommit till Sverige som flyktingar. / The purpose of this doctoral thesis is to illuminate, analyze and discuss life stories told by young Swedes about their experiences of being up-rooted and forced to leave their home countries and make a new start in a new country during their school years. Eight young adults participated in life story-interviews around this theme. The theoretical framework entails the terms identity in late modernity, identity as story, and the conditions of globalization here represented by the categories tourists and vagabonds, where the first have access to the world and the latter are left out. Furthermore the concept of life chances is used, which is concerns the relation between people’s goals and ambitions and their possibilities to realize these goals. The findings of the study are presented in two chapters. The first is a thematic analysis and the main findings here are experiences of the first meetings with Swedish society, language as a key, the role that school plays, family, friendship and identity and how the participants relate to these aspects in their stories. Some of the stories are interpreted as having more clear strategies, and these are focused along with identity in the second findings chapter.  Here, three profiles are presented as being an outsider as identity, a torn identity and activity as identity. The discussion of the thesis addresses certain methodological considerations and then turns to discuss the findings. This discussion focuses on aspects of the consequences of being up-rooted in relation to the theoretical concepts life chances, vagabonds, risk/trust and identity. Different tools for the construction of identities in the stories are also discussed, as well as how identity can be seen as synonym to telling a story.   The overall conclusion is that it is not fruitful to talk about immigrants or refugees as a homogeneous group. The participants in this study are alike in many ways, and while their stories have mutual traits, they also tell the tale of differing experiences, approaches and identities. This gives life, and empirically grounded support, to the worn out phrase “every child is an individual”, also when it concerns children and young people who have experienced arriving in Sweden as refugees.

The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge about what the lives of the unemployed youth of immigrant background looks like, and what the views of the unemployed young people are about work and employment. The study is a qualitative study where the empirical material is based on interviews with seven unemployed immigrant youth between the ages of 19 and 25 years. A study where the central questions was to explore how the informants' living conditions and identity are affected by being unemployed. The other issues aimed at how informants background affected their ability to enter the labour market, and the job expectations the informants had about the future and the Swedish labour market. Empirin have been analyzed with regard to methodology tool based theory, as well as theoretical starting points, such as social capital, formal and informal channels, ethnicity and stigma theory. The result is shown in five different disciplines on the basis of informants experiences of the situation they are in. These topics are The unemployment and welfare, The social network's importance, The foreign name the obstacles, The road to the labour market and finally, The social environment. The results show that informants welfare was affected in a destructive way when informants experienced a lack of employment. Informants perceived that the social network's importance was very prominent in the labour market, which proved, however, that informants social networks were very limited and without a resource for them. The result also shows that the majority of informants had been discriminated against by employers. A crucial factor for this form of discrimination were informants background and the foreign name. Road to the labour market was perceived stressful when the economic situation in the country was unstable and in decline. The results suggest that the informants had to lower their job expectations when they could not change the situation. Moreover, it appeared to indicate that ambient performances that immigrant segregated areas are perceived as socially vulnerable, both as a social problem for society. Informants self-image was negatively affected by the social environment perceptions of immigrants segregated neighbourhoods, which were seen by informants as a contributing factor that made their job opportunities more difficult.

The aim of this study was to examine how the social services could investigate and support children of irregular immigrants within the boundaries of the law. More specifically it aimed to examine the legal possibilities and obstacles for the social services to support irregular immigrants, how the officials at the social services act considering the legal aspects, and how they reason morally and ethically when dealing with irregular immigrants. To answer the aim of the study the theory of positive law was used combined with qualitative interviews with two officials at the social services. Moreover a small quantitative telephone study with officials in the social services and with voluntary organizations was made. The study has used theories of sociology of law, law and ethics, and professional (civil) disobedience. The conclusions were that children of irregular immigrants are included by the Swedish law for social services, but are hindered from getting support by the legal obligation to inform the police authorities when the social services are dealing with foreigners who did not apply for a residence permit. There is a need for the officials to be extra committed in such cases and they break the obligation to inform to be able to support the children.

The aim of the study is to analyse the stories of four homosexual women with Muslim backgrounds about coming out as homosexuals, from an intersectional perspective. The experience of coming out as lesbian and the intersectionality are related to different social contexts. The homosexuality becomes a problem in connection to family and countrymen while the Muslim background becomes more of a problem in relationships. Heteronormativity and gender system appear to be cooperating systems of oppression. These women don’t describe themselves as oppressed, but potential oppression is still something that influences their lives. They strive for freedom to be themselves in all everyday situations. The quest for freedom to be able to express their sexuality risks relationships with families and girlfriends. But freedom and symbiosis don’t have to be in opposition. These women have found contexts, for example among friends, where none of the social categories are problematic and where they can experience symbiosis. They can choose certain contexts where they are allowed to express their sexuality. The experiences of coming out is analysed as linked to development in late modernity.

Sweden is a multi cultural country, where almost twenty percent of the population come from another cultural background. This study examines to what extent people with a foreign origin appear in two local, Swedish newspapers, Barometern and Östra Småland, and what role they are given. Do they appear as foreigners or immigrants or do they figure as any Swede, irrespective of their origin background? We have made a review by studying pictures of people with a foreign origin, based on name and appearance. During the time period, March 1st – April 30 th 2010, there were 2206 articles with pictures of people where 189 of them did show people with a foreign origin. Although, only 22 of these persons occurred in their role as foreigner or immigrant, the remaining majority occurred due to personal character or competence. Thus, the origin background did not matter in the context.

Bakgrunden till denna undersökning är att uttal är en viktig del av språket att behärska, samtidigt som det finns indikationer på att uttalsundervisningen inom Svenska för invandrare (SFI) är eftersatt. Ändå uppnår elever inom SFI ett förståeligt uttal och därför antogs att de använder sig av självstudier i uttal och skulle ha uppfattningar om hur de lärt sig uttal. Syftet med denna undersökning var att beskriva och analysera några SFI-elevers uppfattningar av metoder för att lära svenskt uttal, för att ur detta dra slutsatser av didaktisk betydelse för uttalsundervisning inom SFI. Detta undersöktes genom tre forskningsfrågor kring metoder som eleverna uppfattar har hjälpt dem att lära svenskt uttal. Kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra SFI-elever som har gott uttal genomfördes på deras egen skola. Två elever i taget intervjuades under cirka en timme och det uppstod ett fritt samtal om hur de uppfattar att de har lärt uttal. Resultatet är en lång rad metoder som eleverna uppfattar har hjälpt dem för lärande av svenskt uttal: lyssna, läsa, syssla med korrigering, höra, repetera, titta, umgås med människor, prata, arbeta, göra läxan, kämpa, vilja samt ha rätt inställning. En förhållandevis stor del av dessa metoder nämns inte i den tidigare forskningen. Metoder som eleverna nämnde har hjälpt mest är lyssna, repetera långa ord, läsa högt, vilja lära uttal, umgås med människor, ta hjälp av sitt barn samt kämpa. Endast några få metoder från själva SFI-undervisningen nämndes av eleverna. Därför dras i diskussionen slutsatsen att det behövs mer uttalsundervisning inom SFI, särskilt undervisning i prosodi. En annan slutsats är att de metoder som informanterna nämner bör påverka SFI didaktiskt och tre exempel ges på hur detta kan ske.

This study examines the nature and possible causes of the changes in the art and artistry of Abdul Rahim Ghafori, an Afghan artist who has migrated to Sweden. The premise of this paper is that over time a person who migrates to another culture will undergo change. In an artist this change should manifest itself in his art and artistry. The study examines this process of change and how it is manifested in the artistry and art of Abdul Rahim Ghafori. The study intends to increase knowledge and understanding of the changes a person undergoes when experiencing a culture change. / Studien är en detaljerad fallstudie vilken ingående belyser ett konstnärskap och utförligt diskuterar ett antal av konstnärens verk. Studien undersöker vilka förändringar i konst och konstnärskapberoende på kulturbyte som kan skönjas hos den afghanske men till Sverige invandrade konstnären Abdul Rahim Ghafori. Att det över tid sker en förändring hos en person som invandrat till en annan kultur är ett utgångsantagande för studien. Hos en konstnär bör denna förändring visa sig i konst och konstnärskap. I studien undersöks vad som händer och hur detta visar sig i Ghaforis konstnärskap och konst samt vilka möjliga orsaker dessa förändringar har. Studien avser att utöka kunskapen om och förståelsen för de förändringar en människa går igenom när han eller hon byter kultur.

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The purpose of this study is to identify the problems that immigrant women face when attempting to integrate in the Swedish society. The investigation seeks to scrutinize the aspects that facilitate in this process of integration for non-Swedish women and whether the administrative authorities responsible for handling matters of integration does so in an efficient way? This is a qualitative study where a bottom-up approach has been implemented. The study revolves around 5 interviews that have been conducted with immigrant women, who have narrated their situation from which a number of aspects have been chosen to highlight the integration problems that have risen in Sweden. These factors that have been identified in the study are: ‘cultural differences’, ‘gender roles’, ‘discrimination’, the importance of the language’, residential segregation’ and ‘the roles of the administrative authorities’. The empirical evidence drawn from the before mentioned interviews has been combined with theoretical material in order to strengthen the credibility of the study. The thesis ends with a concluding discussion where emphasis has been put on evaluating the findings of the thesis and aiming to provide an answer to the research questions. The conclusion and thus the results of the study displays that the Swedish government has indeed taken measures to improve the situation. Yet, issues such as societal and institutional discrimination, residential segregation and cultural barriers between groups remain evident, creating immense difficulties for the immigrants to become part of the Swedish society. / Syftet med denna studie är att identifiera de problem som invandrade kvinnor möter i integreringen i det svenska samhället. Undersökningen ifrågasätter aspekter som underlättar icke-svenska kvinnors integration i det svenska samhället och om de administrativa myndigheterna hanterar integrationsfrågorna på ett effektivt sätt? Detta är en kvalitativ studie, där ett bottom-up-strategi har tillämpats. Studien kretsar kring 5 intervjuer som har genomförts med invandrarkvinnor, som har återberättat sin situation från vilket ett antal aspekter har valts för att lyfta upp de integrations problem som har uppstått i Sverige. De faktorer som har identifierats i studien är: "kulturella skillnader", "könsroller", "diskriminering", betydelsen av språket, “boende segregation” och de "administrativa myndigheternas roller". Den empiriska delen har kombinerats med den teoretiska för att stärka trovärdigheten i studien. Uppsatsen avslutas med en sammanfattande diskussion där vikt har lagts på att utvärdera resultaten av uppsatsen och syftar åt att tillhandahålla ett svar på frågeställningarna. Slutsatsen av denna studie påvisar att den svenska regeringen förvisso har vidtagit åtgärder för att förbättra situationen, men att frågor som samhällelig och institutionell diskriminering, bostads segregation och kulturella barriärer mellan grupper fortsätter att existera, vilket skapar svårigheter för invandrare att bli en del av det svenska samhället.