Social Capital and Stratification of Young People

This paper addresses the impact of social capital on the status attainment process of young people at the start of their careers and examines how social class, gender and ethnicity affect the accumulation of social capital and thereby labour market stratification of young people. A sample of young Swedes graduating from vocational schools and universities between 2005 and 2006, was surveyed via the telephone about their experiences acquiring jobs. Two re­search questions are posed: (i) Which characteristics (class, gender and ethnicity) affect young people's access to more social capital? (ii) How is social capital rewarded in the labour market? The results show that being female, coming from the lower social classes and being a member of a stigmatized immigrant groupare associated with a substantial social capital deficit. When socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds as well as the human capital of respondents are controlled, social capital is positively associated with salary level. The results indicate that social capital is a significant factor in the stratification process of young people

Constructions of self-identification : children of immigrants in Sweden

This paper is about self-identification by a sample of young people with various migrant backgrounds in Sweden. In a survey we asked them how they present themselves to others in different contexts (in their schools and neighbourhoods or when they are out of Sweden). Our findings suggest that young people’s identification is not fixed. The paths to these various forms of identification are shaped by a variety of individual (class background, parents’ country of origin) and social factors (friendship networks and school composition). The results indicate that those who identified themselves as Swedish or hyphenated tended to be quite similar as regards their other characteristics, while those who presented themselves with the parents’ birth country or religious affiliation have very little in common

Incorporation of children of immigrants: the case of descendants of immigrants from Turkey in Sweden

This paper investigates how children of immigrants from Turkey are integrated into Swedish society. The educational achievements and labour market outcomes of this group are compared with the performance of the offspring of native-born parents. The aim of the study is to explore whether we can observe a tendency towards downward mobility among young people of immigrant background in Sweden and thereby provide reflections on the existing formulation of the segmented assimilation theory. Findings show that descendants of immigrants seem not to be in the process of downward assimilation, that is, social exclusion and therefore formation of a distinct underclass in Sweden. The concept of subordinate inclusion is a more appropriate description of the experiences of children of immigrants

Etniska hierarkier och (icke-)representation : Partikandidater med migrationsbakgrund vid svenska valet 2014

Ethnic hierarchies and (non)representation. Party candidates with migration background in the general election of 2014. This paper analyses the extent to which individuals with migration background were appointed and elected into different levels of public decision-making bodies in the latest Swedish general election (2014). Individuals of ”migration background” refers in this study to those born abroad or born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents. Data for this study is taken from Statistics Sweden’s register of candidates elected in municipal, county and national parliamentary elections in 2014, supplemented by information from other Statistics Sweden’s registers. The results demonstrate that: (a) individuals with a migration background are severely underrepresented in the Swedish decision-making bodies; (b) even in cases when individuals with a migration background are nominated on the party lists, they have less of a chance of being elected compared to native candidates. (c) The dominant ”resource theory” cannot explain the underrepresentation of the stigmatized migrant groups and their descendants, and finally; (d) the results indicate some support to the hypothesis about the importance of access to social networks in order to be nominated and elected.Sociologisk Forsknings digitala arkiv</p

Etniska hierarkier och (icke-)representation : Partikandidater med migrationsbakgrund vid svenska valet 2014

Ethnic hierarchies and (non)representation. Party candidates with migration background in the general election of 2014. This paper analyses the extent to which individuals with migration background were appointed and elected into different levels of public decision-making bodies in the latest Swedish general election (2014). Individuals of ”migration background” refers in this study to those born abroad or born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents. Data for this study is taken from Statistics Sweden’s register of candidates elected in municipal, county and national parliamentary elections in 2014, supplemented by information from other Statistics Sweden’s registers. The results demonstrate that: (a) individuals with a migration background are severely underrepresented in the Swedish decision-making bodies; (b) even in cases when individuals with a migration background are nominated on the party lists, they have less of a chance of being elected compared to native candidates. (c) The dominant ”resource theory” cannot explain the underrepresentation of the stigmatized migrant groups and their descendants, and finally; (d) the results indicate some support to the hypothesis about the importance of access to social networks in order to be nominated and elected.Sociologisk Forsknings digitala arkiv</p

"Främlingen" bland svensk "Homo Academicus"

The ”stranger” among Swedish ”Homo Academicvs” This paper is about individuals with immigrant background among the Swedish academic elite, i.e. those who have a PhD and work at Swedish universities. The aim of the study is to understand how factors other than academic qualifications, such as gender and a migrant background, may impact on the individual’s ability to get a job and pursue a successful career in Swedish higher education. The data used for this study is obtained from the Longitudinal Database of Education, Income and Occupation (LISA) administered by Statistics Sweden.When compared to the reference group (individuals born in Sweden with at least one Swedish-born parent), the results show that given the same work experience individuals born in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America are more likely to be unemployed. Among those who have a job, thoseSociologisk Forsknings digitala arkiv</p

Unequal Opportunities : The Impact of Social Capital and Recruitment Methods on Immigrants and Their Children in the Swedish Labour Market

Avhandlingen består av tre empiriska studier som undersöker effekten av socialt kapital för individernas arbetsmarknadsutfall, utifrån två huvudsakliga frågeställningar. För det första: Vilka individuella egenskaper, såsom utbildningsnivå, genus och ursprungsland, underlättar eller försvårar tillgång till socialt kapital? Här studeras den avkastning som socialt kapital genererar på arbetsmarknaden, jämfört med utbildning och arbetslivserfarenhet. För det andra analyseras vilken betydelse en stigmatiserad social identitet hos vissa invandrade har för tillgången till socialt kapital och i vilken grad ett ”underskott” av socialt kapital påverkar deras arbetsmarknadsutfall. Resultatet av de empiriska undersökningarna tyder på att invandrare och deras barn, efter kontroll för produktionsrelaterade variabler, har mindre tillgång till socialt kapital och därför sämre arbetsmarknadsutfall.This thesis consists of an introduction and three self-contained studies on the impact of social capital on individuals’ labour market outcomes. It focuses on labour market conditions for immigrants and their children in Sweden. The central research questions of the thesis are twofold. First, what individual characteristics, such as educational level, gender and country of origin, enhance or hinder access to social capital, and how well is social capital rewarded in the labour market compared with education and work experience? Second, does the stigmatized social identity of some immigrant groups affect their access to social capital, and to what degree does such a social capital ‘deficit’ affect their labour market outcomes? The results demonstrate that inequality between immigrants (and their children) and natives (and their children) in access to networks with valuable resources of social capital is an important issue in their labour market outcomes