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Exploring Inclusive Cities for Migrants in the UK and Sweden: A Scoping Review

Ramachandran, Niroshan and Di Matteo, Claudia LU (2023) In Social Inclusion 11(3). p.162-174
Abstract
In recent years, social work with migrants and ethnic minorities has developed as a field of research and practice. Further, it is recognised in the literature that the increased processes of human mobility in today’s societies have driven a growing focus on inclusive cities, especially in larger urban areas where ethnic diversity and cultural heterogeneity can be found alongside newly arrived migrants seeking a better quality of life, safety, and sanctuary. There is a strong link between individuals’ well‐being and their relationship with spaces, institutions, and resources. Cities and their urban environment have been increasingly identified as key arenas where social, economic, and ecological societal challenges should be addressed. In... (More)
In recent years, social work with migrants and ethnic minorities has developed as a field of research and practice. Further, it is recognised in the literature that the increased processes of human mobility in today’s societies have driven a growing focus on inclusive cities, especially in larger urban areas where ethnic diversity and cultural heterogeneity can be found alongside newly arrived migrants seeking a better quality of life, safety, and sanctuary. There is a strong link between individuals’ well‐being and their relationship with spaces, institutions, and resources. Cities and their urban environment have been increasingly identified as key arenas where social, economic, and ecological societal challenges should be addressed. In the context of migration, municipalities have invested in dealing with both inclusive and sustainable policies. However, cities are not uniformly experienced by all. This scoping review seeks to answer how an inclusive city is conceptualised in the Swedish and the UK’s social work literature concerning migration. Using social exclusion and inclusion as the theoretical points of view, we conduct analysis using Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) six‐stage methodological framework. Despite social work playing a major role in the social inclusion of immigrant minorities in cities, through promoting participation, there is a lack of knowledge and research on social work engagement with social inclusion, both in the fields of social policy and practices. This article contributes to an enhanced understanding of what an inclusive city is, and the role of social work in defining and developing social policies and professional interventions for inclusive cities to support the integration of migrants with distinct needs. We offer a much‐needed review of the similarities and differences between the two geographies by analysing the social work perspectives from Sweden and the UK. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
inclusive cities, migration, social work, Sweden, United Kingdom
in
Social Inclusion
volume
11
issue
3
pages
162 - 174
publisher
Cogitatio
external identifiers
  • scopus:85169306707
ISSN
2183-2803
DOI
10.17645/si.v11i3.6858
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a2b2d40e-235e-4dc0-a927-27f278e14f55
date added to LUP
2023-08-04 15:52:54
date last changed
2023-11-16 04:03:08
@article{a2b2d40e-235e-4dc0-a927-27f278e14f55,
  abstract     = {{In recent years, social work with migrants and ethnic minorities has developed as a field of research and practice. Further, it is recognised in the literature that the increased processes of human mobility in today’s societies have driven a growing focus on inclusive cities, especially in larger urban areas where ethnic diversity and cultural heterogeneity can be found alongside newly arrived migrants seeking a better quality of life, safety, and sanctuary. There is a strong link between individuals’ well‐being and their relationship with spaces, institutions, and resources. Cities and their urban environment have been increasingly identified as key arenas where social, economic, and ecological societal challenges should be addressed. In the context of migration, municipalities have invested in dealing with both inclusive and sustainable policies. However, cities are not uniformly experienced by all. This scoping review seeks to answer how an inclusive city is conceptualised in the Swedish and the UK’s social work literature concerning migration. Using social exclusion and inclusion as the theoretical points of view, we conduct analysis using Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) six‐stage methodological framework. Despite social work playing a major role in the social inclusion of immigrant minorities in cities, through promoting participation, there is a lack of knowledge and research on social work engagement with social inclusion, both in the fields of social policy and practices. This article contributes to an enhanced understanding of what an inclusive city is, and the role of social work in defining and developing social policies and professional interventions for inclusive cities to support the integration of migrants with distinct needs. We offer a much‐needed review of the similarities and differences between the two geographies by analysing the social work perspectives from Sweden and the UK.}},
  author       = {{Ramachandran, Niroshan and Di Matteo, Claudia}},
  issn         = {{2183-2803}},
  keywords     = {{inclusive cities; migration; social work; Sweden; United Kingdom}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{162--174}},
  publisher    = {{Cogitatio}},
  series       = {{Social Inclusion}},
  title        = {{Exploring Inclusive Cities for Migrants in the UK and Sweden: A Scoping Review}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/si.v11i3.6858}},
  doi          = {{10.17645/si.v11i3.6858}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}