Are Fateme and Abdelhakim being less informed by the government than Johanna and Martin? : An experimental study of ethnic discrimination in Sweden

• This study presents an innovative field experiment exploring ethnic discrimination in contacts between public officials and members of Swedish society. Using a correspondence study design, fictitious individuals with Arabic- and Swedish-sounding names contacted Swedish municipalities via email, asking questions about access to preschools. The findings indicate disadvantageous treatment of individuals with Arabic-sounding names in terms of the informal tone of the replies, as Swedish-sounding names were replied to in a friendlier, more welcoming way. Regarding the more formal aspects of the emails—i.e., whether they were replied to at all and the questions posed were directly answered—no statistically significant signs of discrimination emerge (although twice as many Arabic- as Swedish-sounding names did not elicit replies). Still, informal disadvantageous treatment is sufficient cause for concern and especially remarkable in the case of Sweden, with its reputation as being particularly egalitarian, immigration friendly, and democratically well-functioning.

Nyckelord

Statskunskap

Political Science

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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