Talking about integration : Discources, alliances and theories on labour market integration in Sweden

Abstract

In Sweden those born outside the country participate less in the labour market than the majority population. Why is this so? What can be done to better the situation? In this report we take a closer look at how labour market integration is discussed in Sweden. Opinions are strongly divided on the issue of integration. Four discourses on labour market integration are identified. We label them the social liberal discourse, the social democratic discourse, the structural discrimination discourse and finally a possible discourse of assimi-lation. The fourth discourse was contested. A fifth is discussed briefly – the critical humanist position. Our analysis also points to the broader debate on integration, where blurry concepts like discrimination, politically correctness and diversity (mångfald) surface time and again.