Stockholm university

Maritta SoininenProfessor emerita

About me

Maritta Soininen is Professor of Political Science at Stockholm University.  Her research interests include political participation and political representation, public policy and policy governance. The research involves organisational as well as comparative policy analysis.

Other positions, 2010 - 

  • Head of Department, Department of Political Science, Stockholm University, 2012-2020.
  • Member of the Board, Social Science Faculty, Stockholm University, 2018-2020, 2015-2017, 2003–2008.
  • Chair of the Board, Department of Political Science, Stockholm University, 2012-2020, ordinary member 1997-2000, substitute 2006-2008. 
  • Member of the Board of the Swedish Election Authority 2010-2019.
  • Editor-in-chief, Scandinavian Political Studies, Scandinavian Political Studies (SPS), Wiley-Blackwell, 2011-2014.
  • Member of Politics and Human Geography Review Panel, Academy of Finland, 2019.
  • Member of an evaluation panel, FORTE, Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare 2021- 
  • Member of Steering Board for International Migration and Ethnic Relations (IMER) of the Norwegian Research Council 2005–2010.
  • Member of an evaluation panel, Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) 2010-2012.
  • External reviewer, international panel assessing the quality of Linnaeus University’s research strategy, 2017.
  • Expert, UKÄ (Swedish Higher Education Authority) panel for developing a national quality assessment system for doctoral programmes, 2014.
  • Deputy head, CEIFO, Centre for Research in International Migration and Ethnic Relations, Stockholm University 2010.


Latest contributions, 2010 - 

  • Soininen M. and M. Qvist, 2022. Advancing political rights - From voting and eligibility rights to descriptive representation? Paper presented at the thematic section Transnational voting: Procedures, practices and representation, 16th National congress of the AFSP, Association Francaise de Science Politique, Lille, 5-7 July 2022. 
  • Soininen M., and Qvist, M. 2021. Political integration and the career opportunities of immigrants in political parties: Experiences from Swedish party organisations. Migration Studies, mnab018, volume 9, issue 3, pp 556-575. https://doi.org/10.1093/migration/mnab018
  • Soininen M., and Qvist, M. 2018. A radical turn - From solidarity based collaborative governance to coercive rule of law The Swedish case of governance in refugee regulation, settlement and integration, (8th Annual International Conference on Political Science, Sociology and International Relations, published in DO 105176/2251-2403, PSSIR18 105.
  • Soininen M., and Qvist M. 2017. Partiorganisationer och representation – från problem till lösningar (Party organisations and representation – from problems to solutions) i Valdeltagande och representation. DELMI-antologi 2017-7.
  • Soininen M., and Qvist M. 2016. Equal Opportunities in Representation - Political Parties and Six Institutional Design Choices, paper presented at the, ECPR (European Consortium for Political Science Research) Joint Sessions 2016, The Representation of Citizens of Immigrant Origin in Established Democracies, Pisa, 24-28th April 2016.
  • Soininen M. 2014. The Problem of Mismatch in Successful Cross-Sectoral Collaboration, in Politics and Governance (ISSN: 2183-2463) 2014, Volume 2, Issue 2, pp 1-14.
  • Soininen M. 2011. "Ethnic Inclusion or Exclusion in Representation? Local Candidate Selection in Sweden", in The Political Representation of Immigrants and Minorities. Voters, Parties and Parliaments in Liberal Democracies, Bird K, Saalfeld T., and Wüst A.(eds). Routledge.

Soininen has been responsible for the Swedish part of the European project Diversity and Inclusion in Party Organisations DivPol (2013-2014), with participation of researchers from seven EU member states. The project examined intraparty factors that facilitate or impede immigrant participation and representation. She has been an affiliated research fellow (2006-2011) at the Institute for Research on Migration, Ethnicity and Society (FAS Centre of Excellence for Migration, Economy and Society) at Linköping University, and also acted as project leader for Theme Work and Integration (2010-2011), and for Diversity Practice and Policy (2000-2005), a programme on international comparative research on multi-ethnic working life in transition. She also led (2003-2006) Diversity and Anti-Discrimination Policies in the Diverse World of Work, a comparative research project and Minority Representation in Police Organisations – Transnational Measures, (2002-2004) funded by the EU Commission (Employment and Social Affairs DG), with participation of researchers from Denmark, Greece and the Netherlands.

Research

Selected publications

Articles and chapters in edited volumes

2018 A radical turn - From solidarity based collaborative governance to coercive rule of law The Swedish case of governance in refugee regulation, settlement and integration, (together with M Qvist). 8th Annual International Conference on Political Science, Sociology and International Relations, DO 105176/2251-2403, PSSIR18 105.

2014, The Problem of Mismatch in Successful Cross-Sectoral Collaboration, in Politics and Governance (ISSN: 2183-2463) 2014, Volume 2, Issue 2, pp1-14.   

2011, "Ethnic Inclusion or Exclusion in Representation? Local Candidate Selection in Sweden", in The Political Representation of Immigrants and Minorities. Voters, Parties and Parliaments in Liberal Democracies, Bird K, Saalfeld T., and Wüst A.(eds). Routledge.

2010, "Hacia una democracia incluyente? 30 anos de derechos electorales para los immigrantes en los comicios locales suecos", in Sufragio y participation politica de los extranjeros extracomunitarios en Europa, D. Moya Malapeira y A. Vinas Ferrer (eds). ISBN: 978-84-95417-91-6. Fundacio Carles Pi i Sunyer: Barcelona.

2006, "Public policy-making with Civil Society Organisations: Partner Collaboration in Implementing the EU Anti-discrimination Legislation", in State of Welfare. Politics, Policies and Parties in (Post-) Welfare Society, (eds) Linde, C., Eduards M and A. Segerberg. Department of Political Science, Stockholm University.

2004, "Partiernas genomförande av insatser" ("The measures implemented by the political parties") in Bäck & Soininen (eds) Politisk annonsering eller nätverkande? (Political Advertising or Networking?) Report 61, School of Public Administration, University of Gothenburg.

2003, "Exploring EU Ethnic Diversity and Anti-discrimination Policy", in Migration and Labour in Europe, (eds) Zeybekoglu E and B Johansson, Istanbul: Mathabaasu.

2000, "Positive Action in Sweden: from Central Solutions to Local Responsibility for Combating Ethnic Discrimination” (together with Mark Graham) in Erna Appelt (ed), Combating Racial Discrimination: Affirmative Action as a Model for Europe? Oxford: Berg.

1999, "Electoral Participation among Immigrants in Sweden: Integration, Culture and Participation" (together with Henry Bäck) in Steven Vertovec (ed), Migration and Social Cohesion, Edward Elgar Publishing.

1999, "The Swedish Model as an Institutional Framework for Immigrant Interest Mobilisation and Citizenship" in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 25 No. 4, 685-702.

1999, "Invandrarkandidaterna i personvalet" ("Immigrants as Electoral Candidates") together with Henry Bäck in Sören Holmberg and Tommy Möller (eds), Premiär för personval (Introducing Candidate Vote Alongside Party Vote), SOU 1999:92.

1999, "Invandrare som medborgare, väljare och politiker" ("Immigrants as Citizens, Voters and Politicians") together with Henry Bäck in Erik Amnå (ed), Medborgarnas erfarenheter (Citizens' experiences), SOU 1999:119.

1999, "Refugee Care in Sweden: the Problem of Unemployment and anti-Discrimination policies" in John Wrench (eds), Migrant, Ethnic Minorities and the Labour Market - Integration and Exclusion in Europe, McMillan Press Ltd.

1998, "Immigrants in the Political Process" (together with Henry Bäck), Scandinavian Political Studies, Vol. 21, No.1, 29-50.

1998 "A Model for Immigrants? The Swedish Corporate Model and Prevention of Ethnic Discrimination" (together with Mark Graham), Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 24 No. 3, 523-539.

1996, "Invandrarna, demokratin och samhället" ("Immigrants, Democracy and Society. About the Political Participation of Immigrants in Sweden Today") together with Henry Bäck in På medborgarnas villkor – en demokratisk infrastruktur (From the citizens view), SOU 1996:162.

1994, "Invandrarnas valdeltagande" ("Electoral participation among Immigrants") together with Henry Bäck in Väljare i kommunalvalet. Om missnöje, misstroende och politisk kultur (Voters in local elections), Bäck Henry and Anders Håkansson (eds). Stockholm: SNS Förlag.

1993, "La participation électorale des immigrés en Suede" (together with Hammar T, Malmström C, Bäck H) in Les étrangers dans la cite. Expériences europénnes, Le Cour Grandmaison O & Wihtol de Wenden C (eds), Editions la Découverte, Paris.

1993, "Electoral Participation among Immigrants in Sweden: Integration, Culture and Participation", in New Community, vol 20, 111-130.

 

Books and reports

2014, Challenges for Diversity. Migrant Participation in Political Parties in Sweden (together with K. Bivald, T. Hertz, and M. Qvist) Project Report. European Commission, European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.

2011, Kön, makt, nation. Festshcrift in honour of Maud Eduards. Edited volume, together with Diane Sainsbury. Department of Political Science, Stockholm University.

2009, Institutions Matter – Governance Makes Difference: Making of Diversity and Antidiscrimination Policy – the Dutch and the UK Case, Report ThemES - Themes on Migration and Ethnic Studies, ISSN 1651-8306; 09/31: Linköping University Electronic Press.

2006, Partierna nominerar. Exkluderingens mekanismer – etnicitet och representation (Party Nominations. Mechanisms of Exclusion – Ethnicity and Representation) together with Nils Etzler. SOU 2006:53. Stockholm: Fritzes.

2004, Politisk annonsering eller nätverkande? (Political Advertising or Networking?) together with Henry Bäck. Report 61, School of Public Administration, University of Gothenburg.

1998, Den kommunala invandrarpolitiken – arenor, aktörer och barriärer (Local Immigrant-Policies:Arenas, Actors and Barriers) together with Henry Bäck. Stockholm: SNS Förlag.

1997, Case Study of Good Practice for Prevention of Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia and the Promotion of Equal Treatment in the Workplace: Sweden”(together with Mark Graham), European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Dublin.

1996, Invandrarna, demokration och samhället. Om invandrarnas demokratiska deltagande i dagens Sverige (Immigrants, Democracy and Society. About the Political Participation of Immigrants in Sweden Today) together with Henry Bäck. Report 2, School of Public Administration, University of Gothenburg

1995, Persuasion contra legislation: Preventing Racism at the Workplace. Sweden (together with Mark Graham), European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Dublin.

1992, Det kommunala flyktingmottagandet. Genomförande och organisation (Local refugee-care – implementation and organisation) Stockholm, CEIFO, Centre for Research in International Migration and Ethnic Relations, Publications.

1989, Samhällsbilder i vardande. Politisk socialisation och den finska andra generationen. (Emerging Perceptions of Society - Political Socialisation and the Second Generation Finnish Immigrants), Stockholm Studies in Politics 37.
 

Conference papers 2004-

2016 Equal Opportunities in Representation - Political Parties and Six Institutional Design Choices, M Soininen & M Qvist, Contribution presented at the, ECPR (European Consortium for Political Science Research) Joint Sessions 2016, The Representation of Citizens of Immigrant Origin in Established Democracies, Pisa, 24-28th April 2016.

2014 Novel openness of party organisations – the role of networks and associations, Paper presented at the ECPR Joint Sessions 2014, Workshop Contemporary Meanings of Party Membership, Salamanca, 10-15th April 25 2014

2014 Party organisations – diversity and openness in candidate recruitment, Paper presented at the NOPSA (Nordic Political Science Organisation) Conference 2014, “Workshop 14-15 Joint session: Citizenship, participation, political parties and learning”, Gothenburg, 10-15th August 2014.

2014, Novel openness of party organisations – the role of networks and associations, Paper presented at the ECPR Joint Sessions 2014, Workshop Contemporary Meanings of Party Membership, Salamanca, 10-15th April 25 2014.

2013, Political Representation of Ethnic Groups – Diversity in Political Parties, Paper presented at INEX-Talks, The Politics of Inclusion & Exclusion, Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, 5th December 2013 

2012, Promoting Equal Opportunities in Representation From Problems to Solutions: Nine institutional design choices, Paper presented at the GRITIM-UPF/IMISCOE Research Seminar Democratic Representation and Diversity in Migration Societies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, 25th June 2012.

2012, Political parties – perspectives on inclusion and recruitment, PP-presentation at the project conference Diversity in Political Parties’ Programmes, Organisation and Representation, in Hamburg, 20-21th December 2012.

2011, From Problems to Solutions: Equal Opportunities in Political Representation, Paper presented at the Conference Workshop Mångfald och integration i Norden, NOPSA Nordic Political Science Association, Vasa, 9-12 August 2011.

2011, Exploring the role of incentives and identities in management of cross-sectoral policy governance. The EQUAL programme and Swedish partnerships for economic growth, paper presented at the Conference ‘Creating the Future’, The 13th West Lake International Conference on Small & Medium Business, Hangzhou, China, October, 15-17, 2011)

2009, Incentives and identities in joint policy governance: The EU programme EQUAL and Swedish partnerships for economic growth, paper presented at the Conference ‘Unemployment and the Global Financial Crises: Policy, Partnerships and Practice’, The Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 1-2 December 2009.

2006, Deliberative collaboration with obstacles. Policymaking and anti-discrimination legislation in the EU. A refereed conference paper presented at the Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne, Governments and Communities in Partnership conference, September 2006.

2005, Institutions, governance and policy. Implementing the EU anti-discrimination legislation. A Paper presented at the XIV Nordiske Statskundskabskongres (NOPSA), in workshop ‘Mångfald, inkludering och medborgarskap i Norden – ur ett upp- och nedifrånperspektiv, in Reykjavik, Iceland , 11-13 August 2005.

2004, For Diversity and Against Discrimination’ - Exploring the EU Diversity and Anti-discrimination Policy. A Paper presented at the Workshop ‘Approaches to Diversity: Management and Policies for Diversity – Regulation ion Private and Public Sector Organisations’, in Bloomington, Indiana, August 2004.
 

Evaluation report

2005, Diversity, empowerment, innovation: The X Train – An equal journey. A process study of a transnational partnership. The EQUAL project Diversity Faces, Linköping.