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Internship as a Mean for Integration. A Critical Study

Author

Listed:
  • Hala Alaraj

    (The University of Gothenburg)

  • Majsa Allelin

    (The University of Gothenburg)

  • Matilda Amundsen Bergström

    (The University of Gothenburg)

  • Camilla Brudin Borg

    (The University of Gothenburg)

Abstract

Creating internships for newly arrived refugees and immigrants is a well-established part of the Swedish national integration program and is seen as a strategy to speed up immigrants’ establishment process. One common belief is that the workplace is expected to give the newly arrived trainee necessary language training, as well as contextual and cultural knowledge. Here, the transferring direction of knowledge is from the Swedish workplace to the receiving newly arrived trainee. However, it is rarely discussed whether the trainee will bring valuable knowledge to the organization, or what the relational aspects of the internship should look like. In this paper, we develop the analysis of internships as a mean for integration in Sweden, by analyzing what trainees and their supervisors experience in terms of knowledge transfer and development. By interviewing trainees (4) and supervisors (5), the aim of this paper is to discuss ideas and practices in an internship program for refugees that The University of Gothenburg started in 2015. The interviews focus on the structural and organizational level, though individual experiences also play a central role. Theoretically, the analysis is interdisciplinary and a cross-cut between organizational theory and cultural studies, especially the work of Sara Ahmed. Our results show that the trainee is seen both as a resource and as someone who represents multiculturalism, hospitality, and the altruism of the university and its employees. The trainee is expected not only to integrate in a productive way, but also to stand out in non-productive areas, such as the social context.

Suggested Citation

  • Hala Alaraj & Majsa Allelin & Matilda Amundsen Bergström & Camilla Brudin Borg, 2019. "Internship as a Mean for Integration. A Critical Study," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 323-340, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:20:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s12134-018-0610-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s12134-018-0610-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mojtaba Vaismoradi & Hannele Turunen & Terese Bondas, 2013. "Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(3), pages 398-405, September.
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    3. J. Stuart Bunderson & Ray E. Reagans, 2011. "Power, Status, and Learning in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1182-1194, October.
    4. Mats Alvesson, 1993. "Organizations As Rhetoric: Knowledge‐Intensive Firms And The Struggle With Ambiguity," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(6), pages 997-1015, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sina Grosskopf & Andreas Landes & Christoph Barmeyer, 2022. "A Black-Box yet To Be Opened: Multi-level Processes During Migrants’ Organizational Socialization," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1875-1902, December.
    2. Daniella Troje, 2021. "Policy in Practice: Social Procurement Policies in the Swedish Construction Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-18, July.

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