Swedish: Being or Becoming? Immigration, National Identity and the Democratic State
This article discusses superordinate national identity as a means for immigrants integration into democratic polities. It is suggested that a superordinate national identity perceived as inclusive, by immigrants and by the native population, would be conducive to such integration. Command of the dominant language of society is seen as most important of the inclusive criteria. Other such criteria are respect of the country's political institutions and feelings of belonging to the country where you live. The argument is supported by data, showing a majority in favour of inclusive criteria for 'Swedishness', from a recent study among 1000 secondary school students of 'Swedish' and non-'Swedish' backgrounds.
[1] D. Cesarani and M. Fulbrook, Eds., Citizenship, Nationality and
Migration in Europe, London and New York: Routledge, 1996; C.
Joppke, Ed., Challenge to the Nation-State. Immigration in Western
Europe and the United States. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
[2] R. Kastoryano, Negotiating Identities. States and
Immigrants in France and Germany. Princeton and
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
[3] C. Karner, "The 'Habsburg Dilemma' Today: Competing Discourses
of National Identity in Contemporary Austria", National
Identities, vol.7, No.4,December 2005, p. 426.
[4] H. Lödén 'Jag ├ñr p├Ñ papperet svensk, men...'. Kritiska h├ñndelser,
identitet och politiskt engagemang hos gymnasister i Sverige (In
Swedish). Karlstad: Karlstad University Studies, 2005 ('On paper I'm
Swedish, but...'. Critical events, identity and political engagement
among secondary school students in Sweden).
[5] United Nations, UN:s Population Division, Dept. of Economic and
Social Affairs. International Migration 2006.
(http://www.un.org/esa/population/unpop.htm)
[6] Statistiska centralbyrån, Efterkrigstidens invandring och utvandring.
Demografiska rapporter 2004:5. (In Swedish, with an English
Summary). (Statistics Sweden, Immigration and emigration in the
postwar period. Demographic Reports 2004:5).
[7] Arbetsmarknadsstyrelsen [National Labour Market Board],
Arbetsmarknaden för utomnordiska medborgare i siffror (In Swedish)
Ura 2002:7 (The Labour Market for non-Nordic Citizens in Figures).
[8] Socialstyrelsen [National Board of Health and Welfare], "Segregationen
har ökat". Pressmeddelande 2006-03-28. (In Swedish). ("Increasing
Segregation").
http://www.socialstyrelsen.se/Aktuellt/Nyheter/2006/pres060328.htm
[9] Svenska Dagbladet [Swedish Daily], "Utrikes födda mest sjuka", 15
December 2005, ("Overseas born most sick").
[10] Statistiska centralbyrån, "Valdeltagandet vid valet 2002". Statistiska
meddelanden ME 13 SM 0301. (In Swedish). (Statistics Sweden,
"Electoral Participation in the 2002 General Election"), 2003 and
Statistiska centralbyrån, "Valdeltagandet bland utländska medborgare
vid kommunfullmäktigevalen 2002". Statistiska meddelanden ME 14
SM 0301. (In Swedish). (Statistics Sweden, "Electoral Participation of
Foreign Citizens in the 2002 Municipal Council Elections"), 2003.
[11] Statistiska centralbyrån, "Medlem i politiskt parti".
(http://www.scb.se/templates/table or chart, 48701.asp). (In Swedish).
(Statistics Sweden, "Member of political party"), 2005 and Statistiska
centralbyrån, "Tillgång till daglig tidning".
(http://www.scb.se/templates/table or chart, 48579.asp). (In Swedish).
(Statistics Sweden, "Access to daily paper"), 2005.
[12] W. Bloom, Personal Identity, National Identity and International
Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990, pp. 51-52.
[13] K. Deaux, "Social Identification". In E.T. Higgins and A.W.
Kruglanski Eds. , Social Psychology. Handbook of Basic Principles ,
London, New York: The Guilford Press, 1996, pp. 777-798.
[14] J. Spinner-Halev and E. Theiss-Morse, "National Identity and Self-
Esteem", Perspectives on Politics, vol.1, no.3, 2003, pp. 515-532.
[15] J. Spinner-Halev and E. Theiss-Morse, "National Identity and Self-
Esteem", Perspectives on Politics, vol.1, no.3, 2003, p. 524.
[16] J. Citrin, C. Wong and B. Duff, "The Meaning of American National
Identity". In R. Ashmore, L. Jussim and D. Wilder Eds., Social Identity,
Intergroup Conflict, and Conflict Reduction, Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2001, pp.71-100.
[17] M. Ros, C. Huici and A. Gomez, "Comparative identity, category
salience and iintergroup relations". In D. Capozza and R. Brown Eds.,
Social Identity Processes, London: SAGE, 2000, pp. 81-95.
[18] M. Ros, C. Huici and A. Gomez, "Comparative identity, category
salience and ntergroup relations". In D. Capozza and R. Brown Eds.,
Social Identity Processes, London: SAGE, 2000, p. 94.
[19] M. Brewer, "Ingroup Identification and Intergroup Conflict". In R.
Ashmore, L. Jussim and D. Wilder, Eds., Social Identity, Intergroup
Conflict, and Conflict Reduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2001, p. 36.
[20] A. Mummendey and M. Wenzel, "Social discrimination and tolerance in
intergroup relations: Reactions to intergroup difference". Personality
and Social Psychology Review 3, 1999, pp.158-174.
[21] S. Waldzus, A. Mummendey, M. Wenzel and U. Weber, "Towards
tolerance: Representations of superordinate categories and perceived
ingroup prototypicality". Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,
vol.39, no.1, January 2003, pp.31-47.
[22] R. Hansen and J. Koehler, "Issue defintion, political discourse and the
politics of nationality reform in France and Germany", European Journal
of Political Research, vol. 44(5), 2005, pp. 623-644.
[23] R. Poole, Nation and Identity, London and New York: Routledge, 1999,
p. 121.
[24] D. Sears,"Long-Term Psychological Consequences of Political Events".
In K.R. Monroe Ed., Political Psychology, Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum, 2002, pp. 249-269.
[25] J. Pennebaker and B. Banasik, "On the Creation and Maintenance of
Collective Memories: History as Social Psychology". In J.W.
Pennebaker, D.Paez and B. Rimé, Eds., Collective Memory of Political
Events. Social Psychological Perspectives, Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum, 1997, pp. 3-19.
[26] S. Kumlin, The Personal and the Political. How Personal Welfare State
Experiences Affect Political Trust and Ideology, Göteborg: Dept of
Political Science, 2002, pp. 307-308.
[27] M. Hjerm, "Främlingsfientlighet". In A. Peterson, and M. Hjerm, Red.,
Etnicitet. (In Swedish), Malmö: Gleerups, "Xenophobia". In Peterson
and Hjerm, Eds., Ethnicity, 2007, pp. 220-242.
[28] R. Jowell, and the Central Co-ordinating team, European Social Survey
2002/2003. London: Centre for Comparative Social Surveys, City
University, 2003.
[1] D. Cesarani and M. Fulbrook, Eds., Citizenship, Nationality and
Migration in Europe, London and New York: Routledge, 1996; C.
Joppke, Ed., Challenge to the Nation-State. Immigration in Western
Europe and the United States. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
[2] R. Kastoryano, Negotiating Identities. States and
Immigrants in France and Germany. Princeton and
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
[3] C. Karner, "The 'Habsburg Dilemma' Today: Competing Discourses
of National Identity in Contemporary Austria", National
Identities, vol.7, No.4,December 2005, p. 426.
[4] H. Lödén 'Jag ├ñr p├Ñ papperet svensk, men...'. Kritiska h├ñndelser,
identitet och politiskt engagemang hos gymnasister i Sverige (In
Swedish). Karlstad: Karlstad University Studies, 2005 ('On paper I'm
Swedish, but...'. Critical events, identity and political engagement
among secondary school students in Sweden).
[5] United Nations, UN:s Population Division, Dept. of Economic and
Social Affairs. International Migration 2006.
(http://www.un.org/esa/population/unpop.htm)
[6] Statistiska centralbyrån, Efterkrigstidens invandring och utvandring.
Demografiska rapporter 2004:5. (In Swedish, with an English
Summary). (Statistics Sweden, Immigration and emigration in the
postwar period. Demographic Reports 2004:5).
[7] Arbetsmarknadsstyrelsen [National Labour Market Board],
Arbetsmarknaden för utomnordiska medborgare i siffror (In Swedish)
Ura 2002:7 (The Labour Market for non-Nordic Citizens in Figures).
[8] Socialstyrelsen [National Board of Health and Welfare], "Segregationen
har ökat". Pressmeddelande 2006-03-28. (In Swedish). ("Increasing
Segregation").
http://www.socialstyrelsen.se/Aktuellt/Nyheter/2006/pres060328.htm
[9] Svenska Dagbladet [Swedish Daily], "Utrikes födda mest sjuka", 15
December 2005, ("Overseas born most sick").
[10] Statistiska centralbyrån, "Valdeltagandet vid valet 2002". Statistiska
meddelanden ME 13 SM 0301. (In Swedish). (Statistics Sweden,
"Electoral Participation in the 2002 General Election"), 2003 and
Statistiska centralbyrån, "Valdeltagandet bland utländska medborgare
vid kommunfullmäktigevalen 2002". Statistiska meddelanden ME 14
SM 0301. (In Swedish). (Statistics Sweden, "Electoral Participation of
Foreign Citizens in the 2002 Municipal Council Elections"), 2003.
[11] Statistiska centralbyrån, "Medlem i politiskt parti".
(http://www.scb.se/templates/table or chart, 48701.asp). (In Swedish).
(Statistics Sweden, "Member of political party"), 2005 and Statistiska
centralbyrån, "Tillgång till daglig tidning".
(http://www.scb.se/templates/table or chart, 48579.asp). (In Swedish).
(Statistics Sweden, "Access to daily paper"), 2005.
[12] W. Bloom, Personal Identity, National Identity and International
Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990, pp. 51-52.
[13] K. Deaux, "Social Identification". In E.T. Higgins and A.W.
Kruglanski Eds. , Social Psychology. Handbook of Basic Principles ,
London, New York: The Guilford Press, 1996, pp. 777-798.
[14] J. Spinner-Halev and E. Theiss-Morse, "National Identity and Self-
Esteem", Perspectives on Politics, vol.1, no.3, 2003, pp. 515-532.
[15] J. Spinner-Halev and E. Theiss-Morse, "National Identity and Self-
Esteem", Perspectives on Politics, vol.1, no.3, 2003, p. 524.
[16] J. Citrin, C. Wong and B. Duff, "The Meaning of American National
Identity". In R. Ashmore, L. Jussim and D. Wilder Eds., Social Identity,
Intergroup Conflict, and Conflict Reduction, Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2001, pp.71-100.
[17] M. Ros, C. Huici and A. Gomez, "Comparative identity, category
salience and iintergroup relations". In D. Capozza and R. Brown Eds.,
Social Identity Processes, London: SAGE, 2000, pp. 81-95.
[18] M. Ros, C. Huici and A. Gomez, "Comparative identity, category
salience and ntergroup relations". In D. Capozza and R. Brown Eds.,
Social Identity Processes, London: SAGE, 2000, p. 94.
[19] M. Brewer, "Ingroup Identification and Intergroup Conflict". In R.
Ashmore, L. Jussim and D. Wilder, Eds., Social Identity, Intergroup
Conflict, and Conflict Reduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2001, p. 36.
[20] A. Mummendey and M. Wenzel, "Social discrimination and tolerance in
intergroup relations: Reactions to intergroup difference". Personality
and Social Psychology Review 3, 1999, pp.158-174.
[21] S. Waldzus, A. Mummendey, M. Wenzel and U. Weber, "Towards
tolerance: Representations of superordinate categories and perceived
ingroup prototypicality". Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,
vol.39, no.1, January 2003, pp.31-47.
[22] R. Hansen and J. Koehler, "Issue defintion, political discourse and the
politics of nationality reform in France and Germany", European Journal
of Political Research, vol. 44(5), 2005, pp. 623-644.
[23] R. Poole, Nation and Identity, London and New York: Routledge, 1999,
p. 121.
[24] D. Sears,"Long-Term Psychological Consequences of Political Events".
In K.R. Monroe Ed., Political Psychology, Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum, 2002, pp. 249-269.
[25] J. Pennebaker and B. Banasik, "On the Creation and Maintenance of
Collective Memories: History as Social Psychology". In J.W.
Pennebaker, D.Paez and B. Rimé, Eds., Collective Memory of Political
Events. Social Psychological Perspectives, Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence
Erlbaum, 1997, pp. 3-19.
[26] S. Kumlin, The Personal and the Political. How Personal Welfare State
Experiences Affect Political Trust and Ideology, Göteborg: Dept of
Political Science, 2002, pp. 307-308.
[27] M. Hjerm, "Främlingsfientlighet". In A. Peterson, and M. Hjerm, Red.,
Etnicitet. (In Swedish), Malmö: Gleerups, "Xenophobia". In Peterson
and Hjerm, Eds., Ethnicity, 2007, pp. 220-242.
[28] R. Jowell, and the Central Co-ordinating team, European Social Survey
2002/2003. London: Centre for Comparative Social Surveys, City
University, 2003.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:58415", author = "Hans Lödén", title = "Swedish: Being or Becoming? Immigration, National Identity and the Democratic State", abstract = "This article discusses superordinate national identity as a means for immigrants integration into democratic polities. It is suggested that a superordinate national identity perceived as inclusive, by immigrants and by the native population, would be conducive to such integration. Command of the dominant language of society is seen as most important of the inclusive criteria. Other such criteria are respect of the country's political institutions and feelings of belonging to the country where you live. The argument is supported by data, showing a majority in favour of inclusive criteria for 'Swedishness', from a recent study among 1000 secondary school students of 'Swedish' and non-'Swedish' backgrounds.
", keywords = "Democratic state, exclusion, immigration, inclusion, superordinate national identity, Sweden.", volume = "2", number = "4", pages = "303-8", }
