New research sheds light on everyday integration
Being able to laugh together and share challenges is more important for creating a sense of belonging than having a shared cultural or ethnic background. This is demonstrated in a doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg, which explores everyday relationships in a workplace.
Signe Askersjö, a doctoral student in social anthropology at the School of Global Studies, has investigated whether ethnic differences within a society pose a threat to cohesion and community.
“In political debates, differences between ‘Swedes’ and ‘immigrants’ are often portrayed as a problem. My dissertation challenges that notion,” says Signe Askersjö.
The workplace as an arena for integration
She has examined how concepts like immigrant, ethnicity, and integration are experienced by people in everyday life – in a place where people meet daily: the workplace. The dissertation is based on field studies of the employees' daily lives at a building supply store in a Swedish city. Signe Askersjö took part in the daily work, listened, asked questions, and documented what happened.
“By being there for an extended period, I was able to observe how relationships developed. I also reflected on my own experiences in interactions with others. In this way, I could examine which differences and similarities actually become important in everyday life,” says Signe Askersjö.
Shared humour more important than ethnicity
Her research shows that differences do not automatically lead to conflict; they can also become the basis for friendship, solidarity, and care. Ethnicity is often not the central factor in how friendships, or conflicts, are formed.
“What turned out to be important, however, were things like sharing certain vulnerabilities – such as neurological differences, language skills, and a similar sense of humor,” says Signe Askersjö.
At a time when society is marked by polarized discussions about migration and integration, it is crucial to understand how people actually live together, and not just accept political portayals.
“I want to make room for the stories that are rarely heard in public debate, those that speak to how people form alliances, solidarities, and friendships across various boundaries and differences,” says Signe Askersjö.
Text: Linda Genborg
Signe Askersjö defended her doctoral thesis How to think differently about difference: convivialities and contentions in the postmigration condition on 13 June 2025 at the School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg.
Abstract of the thesis is uploaded to the University of Gothenburg's database GUPEA:
