Reaching Out, Tuning in : On the Problematic Information Structure Hindering Connection between Socially Engaged Organizations and Refugees in the Municipality of Trollhättan

• The recent refugee crises have caused newcomers to settle in different municipalities in Sweden. Different municipalities respond differently to the situations that arise from an increased number of refugees waiting for decisions from the Swedish Migration Agency regarding residence permit. Such variation in response also affects how refugees can access relevant information about activities and initiatives available in the designated municipality while waiting. This study investigated how stakeholders' in the municipality of Trollhättan experienced their possibilities to spread information about their activities targeting refugees. A particular interest was on what kind of activities stakeholders provided, problems they face in reaching out to refugees, and opinions on using technology usage for outreach. Seven stakeholders in Trollhättan municipality were included in the study; a private company, the municipal employment office, a university and four nonprofit organizations. Findings suggest that stakeholders did arrange various types of initiatives but it was hard for refugees placed in Trollhättan to get access to these local initiatives. Stakeholders wanted to reach out to as many refugees as possible but they have a hard time doing so. The study concluded that information access of stakeholders activities is a major problem for refugees in Trollhättan. In order to address the dispersed and hard-to-find information from the varied stakeholders, a mobile app was suggested as a solution to the information problem in order to create a digital cental place for stakeholder initiatives and information spread. These initiatives, if known about, could create a more active and varied everyday life for refugees awaiting decisions from the migration board. For stakeholders to reach out with information of planned activities and for refugees to be able to tunein to these possibilities becomes particularly important in municipalities where refugees are dispersed in various kinds of locations, rather than living in largec amps.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Socialt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Social Work (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Refugees

Trollhättan

organizations

Work Integrated Learning

Arbetsintegrerat lärande

Socialt arbete

Social work

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)