Cultural dialogues in the good society

Value conflicts involving gender equality are interwoven into current multicultural tensions in many European societies. They are at the core of these tensions in Sweden, in which gender equality and principles of individual human rights constitute the state profile and political identity. In this article, we focus on three cases of honor killings that became flash points for public debates on `culture and cultures' among political parties, immigrant groups and feminists in Sweden. The media fervor surrounding honour-related violence has provided xenophobic groups with political opportunities, but at the same time, the public debate has given visibility and opened up public space for immigrant women's groups. We conclude that the notion of the `good society' has kept at bay the recognition of overtly xenophobic parties, but it has also inhibited open dialogue across and within majority and minority cultures, which would allow for reflections upon the diversity within cultures, marked by religion, gender, class differences and generational conflicts

“Pero luego te arrepientes”. La juventud gitana navegando dilemas de aspiración

This article reflects on the Spanish Roma people’s aspiration dilemmas about their school-to-work transition (STWT). Study of the STWT of Roma young people casts light on the social and economic inequalities in Spanish society. Academic and occupational aspiration dilemmas reveal aspects of the interplay between structural-historical, societal, institutional and community-level factors that condition Roma people’s “capacity to aspire”, which Appadurai defines as a navigational capacity. Drawing on 31 interviews with Roma people living in a mid-sized Catalan city, we explore the following types of intermingled aspiration dilemmas: concrete vs. abstract, misaligned and insecure, misrecognised, interrupted, and postponed aspirations. We also unpack two cross-cutting aspects – young people’s capacity and strategies for navigating among aspiration-related resources and negotiating the meanings, terms, and conditions of aspiring school-to-work transition under multiple forms of pressure.Este artículo reflexiona acerca de los dilemas de aspiración de las personas gitanas españolas en su transición de la escuela al trabajo (TET). El estudio de la TET de los jóvenes gitanos arroja luz sobre las desigualdades sociales y económicas de la sociedad española. Los dilemas de aspiración académicos y ocupacionales revelan aspectos de la interacción entre factores estructurales-históricos, sociales, institucionales y comunitarios que condicionan la “capacidad de aspirar” de las personas gitanas, que Appadurai define como una “capacidad de navegación”. En base a 31 entrevistas con personas gitanas de una ciudad catalana de tamaño medio, se exploran los siguientes tipos entremezclados de dilemas de aspiración: aspiraciones concretas versus abstractas, desalineadas e inseguras, mal reconocidas, interrumpidas y pospuestas. También se desglosan dos aspectos transversales: la capacidad y las estrategias de los jóvenes para navegar entre los recursos relacionados con las aspiraciones y negociar los significados, términos y condiciones de la TET bajo múltiples formas de presión

Transnationalism and Financial Crisis: The Hampered Migration Projects of Female Domestic Workers in Spain

The importance of transnational migration projects for international development has been increasingly recognized over the past decades. Migrants who move from the Global South or East to work in low-wage sectors such as construction, agriculture or domestic services in wealthier countries may contribute both to growth in the receiving countries and socio-economic development in their countries of origin. Parallel to scholarship on migration and development, research on the transnationalization of domestic work generally assumes that growing care needs and increasing demand for private household services in Western societies imply a continuing demand for migrant labour. However, since the global financial crisis broke out in 2008, unemployment among migrant workers has increased dramatically in many immigrant-receiving countries, Spain being among the most severely affected. Job destruction has so far been lower in the domestic sector than in other sectors occupying large numbers of migrant workers. Yet, we find that migrant domestic workers in Spain are affected by the recession both in terms of unemployment or underemployment and deteriorating job conditions, with transnational consequences such as loss of remittances. Many migrants find themselves in a situation of “standby,” trying to subsist while waiting for the recession to end.We acknowledge support by the CSIC Open Access Publication Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).We have received funding from the following projects for this paper: the international EU (FP7) funded project FamiliesAndSocieties (within which we worked with WP 9 on Migration and Care), and the Swedish-Spanish research project Do welfare regimes matter? Migration and Care/domestic work in two institutional contexts, Sweden and Spain: A Multi-Tier Design, funded by the Swedish national bank. We have not received any funding to publish in open access

Immigrants' perceptions on integration in two institutional frameworks: Sweden and Spain

Final project report, June 2016This research project examines how immigrants of diverse ethnic origins perceive their integration, or incorporation, in two European multi-ethnic societies, Sweden and Spain, and cities, Stockholm and Barcelona. A central assumption is that immigrants' own sense of social inclusion and fair treatment is essential for their wellbeing, as well as for their willingness to integrate. Negative experiences as discrimination and perceived non-acceptance are likely to decrease solidarity and identification with society. The emphasis lies on two central dimensions of self-perceived integration, or incorporation: i) the sense of belonging and ii) the perception of opportunities. Integration is in this project defined as the process towards egalitarian coexistence in multi-ethnic societies

Representations of ethnic diversity: the role of public institutions for Inclusionary citizenship practices

This paper takes the case of Catalonia to inquire into how ethnic diversity is represented in the public institutions, considering both pro-diversity agendas and the actual presence of people from diverse origins in different positions. Based on data from the REPCAT project, it applies a normative approach and suggests that an increased representation of immigrants and members of ethnic minority groups is necessary in order to fulfil intercultural policy aims, and, at a broader level, that the representation of ethnic diversity in public institutions such as the education system and the police force is a democratic necessity in the superdiverse European societies of today. Focus is then shifted towards how to address the persisting underrepresentation, considering targeting or transformative measures, and to what extent there is receptiveness for a transformation towards more ethnically plural public institutions that are more representative of the whole citizenry

The character and consequences of everyday anti-gypsyism: experiences of discrimination among Roma men and women in the Barcelona area: final project report

This Final project report summarizes the results of the work performed during the research-action project AGREP (Action Program for Effective Reporting of Antigypsyism and Discrimination), from 1 April 2020-31 March 2022.El proyecto de investigación-acción AGREP-Programa de Acción para la Denuncia Efectiva del Antigitanismo y la Discriminación, liderado por el grupo de investigación GRITIM-UPF de la Universidad Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona, tenía como objetivo reforzar la lucha contra el antigitanismo en el área metropolitana de Barcelona mediante una combinación de producción de conocimiento e implementación concreta. Abordó el hecho de que la discriminación contra las comunidades gitanas está muy extendida en Barcelona como en el resto de España, aunque rara vez se denuncia, a través de una serie de acciones de formación y sensibilización que tenían como objetivo: i) aumentar la concienciación sobre la lucha contra la discriminación tanto entre las personas gitanas como en las instituciones; y ii) promover la denuncia del antigitanismo a través del desarrollo de una herramienta digital de uso fácil: la aplicación Dikhat!–y la asistencia directa de los socios del proyecto FAGiC (Federación Catalana de Asociaciones Gitanas) y la Oficina para la No Discriminación (OND) del Ayuntamiento de Barcelona. Definimos como “antigitanismo” las formas específicas de racismo y discriminación, con raíces históricas, que afectan a las personas gitanas por el hecho de ser identificadas como gitanas. Además, el proyecto AGREP pretendía reforzar la lucha contra el antigitanismo a través de la formación de agentes de antidiscriminación gitanos en diez zonas del área de Barcelona con una presencia importante de la comunidad gitana (Hostafrancs, Zona Franca, Nou Barris, Bon Pastor, Gracia, La Mina, Sant Adrià de Besós, Sant Roc, El Gornal y la ciudad de Mataró). El proyecto se implementó con éxito y según lo previsto. 20 agentes antidiscriminación romaníes (10 hombres y 10 mujeres) fueron formados en antidiscriminación y antigitanismo durante 8 sesiones de formación. Estos agentes, a su vez, formaron a 424 miembros de las comunidades gitanas locales de estos barrios durante 45 talleres (32 presenciales y 13 online). Además, se organizó un taller dirigido a representantes de 7 instituciones públicas catalanas (incluyendo los Mossos d’Esquadra, el Departamento de Educación y la Agencia de Salud Pública) para sensibilizarlos sobre el antigitanismo dentro de las instituciones que representan y mejorar su capacidad para prevenir la discriminación institucional.El projecte de recerca-acció AGREP-Programa d'Acció per a la Denúncia Efectiva del Antigitanismei la Discriminació, liderat pel grup de recerca GRITIM-UPFde la Universitat Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona, tenia com a objectiu reforçar la lluita contra l’antigitanismeen l'àrea metropolitana de Barcelona mitjançant una combinació de producció de coneixement i implementació concreta. Va abordar el fet que la discriminació contra les comunitats gitanes està molt estesa a Barcelona com en la resta d'Espanya, encara que rares vegades es denuncia, a través d'una sèrie d'accions de formació i sensibilització que tenien com a objectiu: i) augmentar la conscienciació sobre la lluita contra la discriminació tant entre les persones gitanes com en les institucions; i ii) promoure la denúncia del’antigitanismea través del desenvolupament d'una eina digital d'ús fàcil: l'aplicació Dikhat!–i l'assistència directa dels socis del projecte FAGiC(Federació Catalana d'Associacions Gitanes) i l'Oficina per a la No Discriminació (OND) de l'Ajuntament de Barcelona. Definim com “antigitanisme” les formes específiques de racisme i discriminació, amb arrels històriques, que afecten les persones gitanes pel fet de ser identificades com a gitanes. A més, el projecte AGREP pretenia reforçar la lluita contra l’antigitanismea través de la formació d'agents d'antidiscriminació gitanos en deu zones de l'àrea de Barcelona amb una presència important de la comunitat gitana (Hostafrancs, Zona Franca, Nou Barris, Bon Pastor, Gracia, La Mina, Sant Adrià de Besós, Sant Roc, El Gornal i la ciutat de Mataró). Dins del marc de AGREP, 20 agents antidiscriminació romanís (10 homes i 10 dones) van ser formats en antidiscriminació i antigitanismedurant 8 sessions. Aquests agents, al seu torn, van formar a 424 membres de les comunitats gitanes locals d'aquests barris durant 45 tallers (32 presencials i 13 online). A més, es va organitzar un taller dirigit a representants de 7 institucions públiques catalanes (incloent els Mossos d'Esquadra, el Departament d'Educació i l'Agència de Salut Pública) per a sensibilitzar-los sobre l’antigitanismedins de les institucions querepresenten i millorar la seva capacitat per a prevenir la discriminació institucional

Negotiating Social Membership : Immigrant Claims-Making Contesting Borders and Boundaries in Multi-Ethnic Europe

The concept of social membership is the mainframe for this dissertation, which encompasses four independent articles that approach the boundaries of social membership from different perspectives. Empirically, the focus lies on mobilizing groups that demand an extension of rights and/or inclusion for documented and undocumented immigrants in two European immigration countries: Sweden and Spain. I have defined the processes through which mobilizing actors (immigrants themselves and diverse supporters of their cause) interact with boundary-making actors (institutional actors, policy makers), whom through their positions participate in drawing the boundaries between inclusion and exclusion, as negotiating social membership. To study these processes, I have performed 68 interviews with actors as mobilizing immigrants, activists mobilizing on behalf of immigrants, representatives of NGOs and trade unions, policy-makers and politicians. Two main types of claims appeared: undocumented migrants’ rights groups mobilizing for residence permits and social rights, and documented immigrants’ (and their supporters’) advocacy against ethnic discrimination. Furthermore, I have included a study that reflects the tensions over social membership within immigrant communities. The gendered dimension is its main focus, as it illustrates the value conflicts over gender equality and ethnic diversity brought to the surface through the debates following so-called honour killings in Sweden, and the difficulties faced by young immigrant women mobilizing simultaneously against racism and patriarchal oppression.  The thesis consists of four independent articles within the overall framework of mobilizing groups demanding extended rights for and/or inclusion of immigrants. By using immigrants’ rights mobilizations, negotiations, debates and agendas, my general aim has been to explore the processes through which social membership is being contested and negotiated by a wide range of actors. In doing so, it has been possible to reveal how legal and symbolic boundaries create exclusionary processes that pose constraints on the social membership of immigrants with different legal statuses.At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript.</p

Immigrant integration as a two-way process: translating theory into practice

Integration as concept is becoming contested. Simultaneously, there is an increasing focus on the role of the receiving society for achieving a higher degree of integration of immigrants. This paper investigates whether the policy aim of viewing integration as a “two-way process” is being translated into practice, based on 15 interviews with integration stakeholders in Barcelona and Stockholm. The conclusion is that though there is awareness among key actors as policy-makers, NGOs and municipal services, in practice integration processes are hampered both by structural factors as unemployment and labor market discrimination, and a lack of everyday inter-ethnic contacts on equal terms