Exploring the ‘Integrative Turn’ in Child Politics and Law

• Historically, the concept of integration has primarily been connected to labor market participation. However, in later decades, there has been a shift in political discourse, where persons with migration experience are expected – or demanded – to ’integrate’ socially and culturally in ways that rather reminds of assimilation, i.e. the eradication of difference. Children and youth are in the focus of many of these policies. This has meant a sharp increase in the number of regulations in several policy areas, such as education, child welfare and criminal law.Sweden has been described in the sociological literature as part of a ‘Nordic Model’ striving for social equity, and to some extent, the inclusion of new arrivals and persons with migration experience. However, the Swedish welfare state has been structurally transformed during the last 30 years, combined with a steady growth of regulations aiming to integrate children and youth.The aim of this paper is to present preliminary findings about the trajectory of this ‘integrative turn’ in child politics and law, a turn that can be traced back to 1990s, a decade during which two parallel and sometimes-contradictory policy tracks were established. One was grounded in debates about gender equality and honour-related violence, while the other originated in expressed political strives to acknowledge Sweden as a multi-cultural society. The analysis draws on traditional legal sources such as legal text, court verdicts, preparatory work and legal scholarship to establish a timeline for the ‘integrative turn’ while simultaneously using text analysis to examine shifts in law and policy. Theoretically, the analysis highlights questions about the relationship between law and emotion, applying concepts such as abject (disgust), love (care/protection) and rage (as resistance to assimilation and an engine of progressive politics). Thereby, this paper goes into dialogue with the field of law and emotion. 

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Juridik -- Juridik och samhälle (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Law -- Law and Society (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Internationell migration och etniska relationer (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- International Migration and Ethnic Relations (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Children

migration

integration

segregation

governance

Sociology

sociologi

socialt arbete

Social Work

förvaltningsrätt

förvaltningsrätt

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)