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Strategic framing used by civil society actors to renegotiate state authority : The case of migrant women with precarious legal status and their access to social protection in Sweden and Italy

Di Matteo, Claudia LU orcid ; Scaramuzzino, Roberto LU and Montesino Parra, Norma LU (2026) In European Journal of Social Work p.1-13
Abstract
Neoliberal welfare reforms and limited pathways to permanent residency have left migrant women, among other groups, with little or no access to public social protection, contributing to their precarious legal status. As a result, civil society actors (CSA) have become the main providers of support and deliver micro-level social protection beyond the boundaries of public authorities. At the same time, CSA's resources remain tied to collaborations with government actors in the delivery of services.
Within this context, this study examines how CSAs use different forms of knowledge to frame the situations of migrant women with precarious legal status who experience gender-based violence (GBV). In a dynamic process of framing GBV situations... (More)
Neoliberal welfare reforms and limited pathways to permanent residency have left migrant women, among other groups, with little or no access to public social protection, contributing to their precarious legal status. As a result, civil society actors (CSA) have become the main providers of support and deliver micro-level social protection beyond the boundaries of public authorities. At the same time, CSA's resources remain tied to collaborations with government actors in the delivery of services.
Within this context, this study examines how CSAs use different forms of knowledge to frame the situations of migrant women with precarious legal status who experience gender-based violence (GBV). In a dynamic process of framing GBV situations and constantly reshaping the meanings of administrative categories, CSAs create temporary micro-practices of social protection. Data are based on a vignette method, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals from 31 CSAs operating in Italy and Sweden. Findings show that CSAs strategically produce and mobilise knowledge that frames the legal and humanitarian dimensions of precarious situations of migrant women experiencing GBV, legitimising their actions, securing resources, and navigating tensions with public authorities. Through this, CSAs reshape the architecture of social protection for migrant women confronting GBV within neoliberal bureaucratic frameworks. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
European Journal of Social Work
pages
1 - 13
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:105039180922
ISSN
1369-1457
DOI
10.1080/13691457.2026.2660131
project
Mapping the Social Protection System(s) for Migrant Women experiencing Gender-Based Violence (GBV): EU multi-countries construction of data, actors and tools.
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c98deb8e-d662-4a7c-846e-c9a9bdbb772d
date added to LUP
2026-05-18 08:01:43
date last changed
2026-06-23 04:00:50
@article{c98deb8e-d662-4a7c-846e-c9a9bdbb772d,
  abstract     = {{Neoliberal welfare reforms and limited pathways to permanent residency have left migrant women, among other groups, with little or no access to public social protection, contributing to their precarious legal status. As a result, civil society actors (CSA) have become the main providers of support and deliver micro-level social protection beyond the boundaries of public authorities. At the same time, CSA's resources remain tied to collaborations with government actors in the delivery of services.<br/>Within this context, this study examines how CSAs use different forms of knowledge to frame the situations of migrant women with precarious legal status who experience gender-based violence (GBV). In a dynamic process of framing GBV situations and constantly reshaping the meanings of administrative categories, CSAs create temporary micro-practices of social protection. Data are based on a vignette method, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals from 31 CSAs operating in Italy and Sweden. Findings show that CSAs strategically produce and mobilise knowledge that frames the legal and humanitarian dimensions of precarious situations of migrant women experiencing GBV, legitimising their actions, securing resources, and navigating tensions with public authorities. Through this, CSAs reshape the architecture of social protection for migrant women confronting GBV within neoliberal bureaucratic frameworks.}},
  author       = {{Di Matteo, Claudia and Scaramuzzino, Roberto and Montesino Parra, Norma}},
  issn         = {{1369-1457}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  pages        = {{1--13}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Social Work}},
  title        = {{Strategic framing used by civil society actors to renegotiate state authority : The case of migrant women with precarious legal status and their access to social protection in Sweden and Italy}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2026.2660131}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/13691457.2026.2660131}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}