The afterlives of migration: Integration, ordinary ethics and intimate citizenship

The integration of immigrants and racialised ethnic minorities has become a significant social and policy concern. The proposed mixed-method qualitative study offers a novel approach to integration.

We will use discourse analysis of policies, one-to-one biographical narrative interviews and focus groups to investigate the experiences of those who are considered integrated subjects because they have achieved various types of ‘success’, such as access to Higher Education, secure employment/career progression and/or have established family and friendship networks.

The study focuses on narratives of belonging, well-being, everyday ethics and pleasure. What does it mean to belong, on what terms, for how long? With what costs? And with what joys?

The project seeks to examine these questions in Sweden and the UK, using the two interrelated concepts of ordinary ethics (Das, 2013) and intimate citizenship (Plummer, 2003).

Ordinary ethics is concerned with how individuals approach dilemmas and problems in their everyday lives in accountable and responsible ways. Intimate citizenship makes connections between how private experiences and dilemmas have become public concerns.

We approach “pleasure resources” as activities and networks, through which individuals generate belonging and well-being.