Research project Solving the integration challenge of high-skilled migrants: the central role of merits
It is commonly perceived that migrants with higher professional qualifications integrate seamlessly into society. This interdisciplinary project aims to explore, with mixed methods, the knowledge gap on the topic of integration of high-skilled labor migrants.
The researchers will explore two paradoxes. One is called the competence paradox and means that organizations want to employ highly qualified migrants at the same time that they are more likely to have jobs for which they are overqualified compared to Swedish-born people without an immigrant background. The project will investigate whether this may be because organizations have difficulty valuing their qualifications.
The other is the integration paradox and concerns so-called integration merits, such as language skills and knowledge of Swedish culture. The paradox means that highly qualified migrants do not feel socially included, despite their competence. The project will look at whether a contributing reason for this is that society does not recognize their integration merits.
Project description
In light of the two paradoxes, the objective of this study is to understand how high-skilled labor migrants' (HSM) merits are defined and valued for their integration. Guided by Lamont’s recognition theory, three work packages investigate public attitudes, organizational practices, and HSMs' perspectives on merits and their link to integration.
This study utilizes diverse data sources such as public opinion surveys, organizational recruitment data, and qualitative interviews with HSMs, to show how both professional and integration merits are the cornerstone of HSMs’ integration.
The project a collaboration between Stockholm University and Stockholm School of Economics.
Project members
Project managers
Andrea Voyer
Professor of Sociology
