NON-EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS' INTEGRATION IN THE SWEDISH SOCIETY AND LABOUR MARKET, A Dynamic and Two-Way Process

NON-EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS' INTEGRATION IN THE SWEDISH SOCIETY AND LABOUR MARKET, A Dynamic and Two-Way Process AbstractThis explorative qualitative study aims to explore how both non-European immigrants (1) in Sweden and Swedes (2) perceive the obstacles that prevent non-European immigrant integration into the Swedish society and labour market. The bulk of existing research studying non-European immigrants’ integration into the European host societies focuses either on integration from the host community's perspective or on challenges migrants face in the host society to be integrated. There are less studies that consider both perspectives (host and migrant) in one study. This study used Bosswick and Heckmann’s (2006) four dimensions of social integration as a theoretical framework to explore how non-European immigrants and Swedes -the two parties in the interactive integration process- perceive integration as a concept and as a two-way process. In this study, interviews are conducted with 25 respondents, 9 Swedes and 16 non-European immigrants in Sweden. This study emphasises the significance of personal contacts for non-European immigrants to enter the Swedish labour market, and the importance of interactive integration into the Swedish Society that allows them to obtain such personal contacts. The results show that respondents - non-European immigrants and Swedes- perceive the concept of integration as a two-way process in various ways according to the four theoretical dimensions of social integration.