The purpose of this study has been to examine the lived experiences of people who have come to Sweden as refugees, specifically focusing on how a sense of belonging might take shape upon arrival. The study is based on qualitative, semi-structured interviews with six individuals, all of whom have been granted asylum in Sweden over the past 15 years. The interviews have been thematically analysed and given a theoretical interpretation by applying Antonsich’s concept of belonging, comprising an intimate and personal dimension, place-belongingness, and its structural counterpart, politics of belonging. The results suggest that a sense of place-belongingness is generated, or in some cases inhibited, by a range of factors: Autobiographical (e.g. past experiences proving to be resources in Sweden), relational (e.g. maintaining a proximity to family), cultural (e.g. learning the Swedish language), economic (e.g. establishing material security through employment) and legal (e.g. obtaining leave to remain in Sweden). The results also illustrate that a sense of place-belongingness is ultimately conditioned by politics of belonging (e.g. social attitudes and migration policy). The study concludes that refugees as a group, far from being a strain on society, are as resourceful as they are heterogenous.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:su-189291 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Nordin, Sofie, Bendt, William |
| Publisher | Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för socialt arbete, Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för socialt arbete |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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