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Migrants’ Compromised Careers. Migrants’ Experiences of the Educational System and Integration into the Swedish Labor Market

Lorentsson, Elin LU (2015) WPMM42 20151
Sociology
School of Social Work
Abstract
This study contributes to the understanding of the labor market establishment of the first generation of migrants in Sweden. Sweden has for decades been a country which experienced net immigration, and it is a major recipient of refugees and migrants arriving for reasons of family reunion. Compared to other European countries, Sweden has one of the lowest employment levels among migrants. The study has a specific focus on the transferability of migrants’ foreign acquired educational qualifications to the Swedish labor market. Through interviews with migrants arriving in Sweden for humanitarian- family reunion reasons, this study focuses on their experiences of the Swedish system of integration. Through using Bourdieuan concepts of habitus,... (More)
This study contributes to the understanding of the labor market establishment of the first generation of migrants in Sweden. Sweden has for decades been a country which experienced net immigration, and it is a major recipient of refugees and migrants arriving for reasons of family reunion. Compared to other European countries, Sweden has one of the lowest employment levels among migrants. The study has a specific focus on the transferability of migrants’ foreign acquired educational qualifications to the Swedish labor market. Through interviews with migrants arriving in Sweden for humanitarian- family reunion reasons, this study focuses on their experiences of the Swedish system of integration. Through using Bourdieuan concepts of habitus, capital and field, it investigates the labor market trajectories of the interviewed migrants. The migrants are enrolled at vocational training courses. In order to complement the interviews with them, a few teachers at the vocational training are also included in this thesis, in order to hear their experiences of the Swedish system of integration and education and its effect on the labor market establishment of migrants. The main findings of this study demonstrate that the Swedish system of education and integration often fails to unlock the competences of the interviewed migrants, and their foreign acquired educational qualifications are often devalued. This thesis suggests that there are discriminatory structural hindrances as to why the foreign acquired educational qualifications of many migrants are not valued on equal terms as native attained educational credentials. The skills required on the Swedish labor market, the preferences of employers and the migrant’s ability to present his or her qualifications, are all part of the negotiations that shape the labor market outcomes for migrants. The labor market establishment is also influenced by migrants’ social relations, surrounding culture and financial situation. (Less)
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author
Lorentsson, Elin LU
supervisor
organization
course
WPMM42 20151
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
migrants, labor market integration, devaluation, foreign acquired credentials
language
English
id
8054382
date added to LUP
2015-10-14 08:40:03
date last changed
2015-10-14 08:40:03
@misc{8054382,
  abstract     = {{This study contributes to the understanding of the labor market establishment of the first generation of migrants in Sweden. Sweden has for decades been a country which experienced net immigration, and it is a major recipient of refugees and migrants arriving for reasons of family reunion. Compared to other European countries, Sweden has one of the lowest employment levels among migrants. The study has a specific focus on the transferability of migrants’ foreign acquired educational qualifications to the Swedish labor market. Through interviews with migrants arriving in Sweden for humanitarian- family reunion reasons, this study focuses on their experiences of the Swedish system of integration. Through using Bourdieuan concepts of habitus, capital and field, it investigates the labor market trajectories of the interviewed migrants. The migrants are enrolled at vocational training courses. In order to complement the interviews with them, a few teachers at the vocational training are also included in this thesis, in order to hear their experiences of the Swedish system of integration and education and its effect on the labor market establishment of migrants. The main findings of this study demonstrate that the Swedish system of education and integration often fails to unlock the competences of the interviewed migrants, and their foreign acquired educational qualifications are often devalued. This thesis suggests that there are discriminatory structural hindrances as to why the foreign acquired educational qualifications of many migrants are not valued on equal terms as native attained educational credentials. The skills required on the Swedish labor market, the preferences of employers and the migrant’s ability to present his or her qualifications, are all part of the negotiations that shape the labor market outcomes for migrants. The labor market establishment is also influenced by migrants’ social relations, surrounding culture and financial situation.}},
  author       = {{Lorentsson, Elin}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Migrants’ Compromised Careers. Migrants’ Experiences of the Educational System and Integration into the Swedish Labor Market}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}