Alexandra-Maria Oancea

Student ID: 203011958

Username: ao744

Dissertation Proposal

BA (HONS) Politics

HOW SUCCESSFUL WERE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY’S

EFFORTS IN INTEGRATING THE ARAB REFUGEES IN THE
SOUTH OF SWEDEN AFTER 2015?

Main idea and Background

The dissertation intends to explore the impact of the local community on the integration of the
Arab refugees in the South of Sweden after 2015, in the context of the international response
towards the Refugee Crisis. The reason behind choosing the Arab refugees is due to the
significant differences between their culture and the one of the host society, while choosing
the South of Sweden as the area of analysis is because of its important role as the ‘’gate’’ to
Sweden, due to its connection with the Central Europe (Denmark) through the Öresund
bridge.

The dissertation considers integration from the social perspective, as the creation of a
multicultural society where different groups of people are equal, highlighting the Swedish
strategy after 1970s in the context of the multiculturalism debate (Solano, 2014). Being
impacted by a significant influx of refugees in the context of the Syrian crisis, it is important
to examine Sweden’s local community latest efforts for social integration. The reason behind
this is not only numerical; the prominent differences between the two cultures –Swedish and
Arabic – are essential in this process and, if not balanced, could create a society of factions.

This study aims to show the importance of the structural integration (becoming part of the
society as identity) in comparison to the functional integration (becoming part of the system
in legal terms) (Castles&Co., 2002), highlighting that the actions and the perceptions of the
local community are the most important factors for the social integration of refugees, shaping
their overall feeling of belonging to the host society in Sweden and having a direct impact on
their cultural and economic integration. Without these efforts, the integration could not go
further from the legal step. The role of the local community in the process of integration has
been neglected by many scholars who tend to look at the either functional factors, or partly at
the structural ones such as employment integration, without focusing on the local community
as the main driven-force for integration, or on target group ́s perception on these efforts. The
literature review will highlight the lack of an individualized understanding of the
interdependence between integration and the actions of the local community, highlighting the
importance of this study in understanding integration at the micro-scale. To develop this
perspective, the study uses interviews as a qualitative approach to analyse the perception of
the refugees towards the role of the local community in their integration before reflecting in
the conclusion on whether Sweden’s integration strategy should focus more on encouraging
the efforts of the individual communities.

State of the Literature

An analysis of the literature on the topic shows scholars’ concern with the integration of
refugees, especially in the context of the ongoing Syrian crisis. Some researchers treat
refugees ́ integration in Sweden from the legal perspective, being the result of Central
Government ś general policy (Bengtsson, 2002). This approach neglects the sphere where the
integration happens – the one of the local community shaped by the actions and approaches of
the Municipalities as local governments with organizational resources helping refugees to
integrate in the society (ibid.). Most studies analyse the social integration of refugees in
relation to employment ́s perspective (affected by their cultural background and making them
vulnerable to discrimination) (Eastmond, 1998). The social integration is treated in general as
a one-way process which is solely dependent on the refugees and their background, from their
education and work- experience to age and sex (Saeid, 2003; Scott, 1999; Charlemagne, 2017;
Ekberg&Ohlson, 2000; Lundborg, 2013; Abbasian, 2003). The social integration is widely
presented in the literature as a result of employment, being considered a vital factor that
ensures refugees ́ adaptation in the community (Lundborg, 2013; Ekberg&Ohlson, 2000;
Abbasian, 2003; Charlemagne, 2017). While acknowledging this perspective, it is important
to note that social integration is not directly the result of employment. It should be seen as a
multi-way process (Solano, 2014), where the dominant group is vital in the inclusion of the
minority, the open dialogue and day-to-day social interaction creating peaceful social
relations based on equality. As Solano (2014) highlights, the social integration in Sweden has
not been addressed from local community ́s role or its impact on the integration process.
Without the interaction between the refugees and the community a flawed socialization
process is developed, affecting the general perception of both parts on their differences. This
highlights the complex and multidimensional features of integration (Castles&al., 2002)
which involves different actors equally responsible for the success of this process.

This dissertation will bring in the literature refugees´s perspective on their integration, their
real needs and opinions on the existing efforts in Sweden.

Methodology & Internal validity

To answer the question of this study, I chose a qualitative approach in order to accentuate the
independent, subjective experiences of the refugees, highlighting the particular psycho-social
connections they established with the local community as a result of its efforts as the host
actor. Choosing the interview as my research tool is not incidentally, the data obtained being
in concordance with the aim of this research – to shape an individualized understanding of the
interdependence between integration and the actions of the community, highlighting refugees’
perception on the micro-scale social integration. The research is constructed using individual
face-to-face semi-structured interviews (ibid.), leaving open the possibility of accentuating
issues that could be significant for the study in each particular case. The interviews are
conducted in either English or Swedish, no translator being needed. I intend to interview
people representatives of all age categories, having a wide view on the existent situation in the
South of Sweden regarding the social integration of Arab refugees.

External Validity & Conclusion

While this project will not represent the views of the majority due to the analysis method
chosen, it will give an overview on the situation in the area and a perspective on the future
efforts that should be develop in order to improve the integration strategies in accordance to
refugees´ real needs and desires. At the same time, it will offer a perspective on whether or
not the Central Government should have more of an impact towards the way in which the
integration strategies are created and managed at the local level, and if they should integrate
the efforts of the social actors such as NGOs or the local community itself in these efforts.

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