New research: how women with a migration background find their way into Swedish society

In several studies, researchers at Halmstad University have shifted the focus from what prevents immigrant women from pursuing higher education and entering the labour market. Instead, they are examining factors that can facilitate the establishment of women with a migration background. The studies particularly highlight the importance of belonging, social networks and education.

The studies show that several factors influence one another during the establishment process. Family is a central part of the women’s lives, but the relationship between higher education, working life and family is not straightforward. Family can both provide support and create challenges.

Personal drive creates new opportunities

Another key factor is the women’s own personal drive. The research shows how the women actively work to create new opportunities through education, language studies and social contacts.

“When I started [at university], I began studying a completely different language. It was not like what I had studied before, Swedish for immigrants (SFI). It was really difficult for me at first. I was at university and did not understand anything. I started translating all the books word for word when I got home. I started talking to myself and filming myself with a camera as if I were another person. I received a good grade in the first course. That was really good for me. This experience has had a positive impact on me”, says one of the women in the study.

A sense of belonging makes a difference

When researchers at Halmstad University examined the women’s journeys through higher education, they identified several important turning points. Support from those around them, recognition from others and the opportunities provided by education are described as important parts of the process.

“Being able to hear the women’s stories about the opportunities they have had to enter and progress through higher education and move into working life provides a different picture from the one we usually see. By combining studies of the barriers to establishing oneself with research into the opportunities described by the women, it becomes possible to work towards successful integration in the contexts we have chosen to examine, namely higher education, working life and sports activities”, says Marie Lydell, Docent in Public Health Science at Halmstad University and one of the researchers behind the study.

Integration is shaped through interaction with others

Similar patterns recur in the studies focusing on the women’s circumstances in working life. Here, belonging emerges as an important factor. Understanding the workplace culture, building relationships and feeling accepted affect opportunities to establish oneself in the labour market.

“I sat with them [my colleagues] every day, watched how they wrote emails and spoke during meetings. I listened all the time and learned. At first, I did not understand when someone was joking. I thought they were being serious. Now I can laugh with them”, explains one of the women who took part in the study.

The studies by Halmstad University and University West show that integration is not solely a matter of structural conditions or individual efforts. The integration process is shaped by the interaction between the individual, education, working life and social relationships.

Marie Lydell and her fellow researchers hope that the findings can contribute to a greater understanding of the factors that support immigrant women’s opportunities to establish themselves in education, working life and Sweden.

Text: Vilma Olofsson

Photo: Helena Bengtsson and Magnus Karlsson