Immigration and Integration in Sweden and Denmark

The aim of this proposal is to bring together in a monograph the findings from comparative research on immigration and integration in Sweden and Denmark. The two countries have become emblematic symbols of opposing ways of “doing integration”: one soft, liberal and multicultural; the other hard, nationalist and assimilationist. Given the countries’ otherwise striking similarities as small egalitarian societies with closely intertwined histories and cultures, their distinct divergence in matters of integration is puzzling. The monograph explains this divergence and its consequences for immigrant integration.

The book will be the first comprehensive monograph on the Swedish and Danish models of integration. It provides a nuanced, in-depth examination and discussion of the two countries, offering new insights and answers to some of the most disputed questions in immigration/integration studies: Why do societies react so differently to immigration? Why does integration work better in some cases than others? Is there a trade-off between multicultural policies and solidarity in welfare states?

The funding will be utilized by Fernández’ sabbatical at Aarhus University, where Mouritsen works and leads several of the involved projects. The authors have a signed contract with Edinburgh University Press (see appendix) and are, after extension of the deadline (due to the pandemic), expected to deliver a manuscript in the fall of 2022. The sabbatical is instrumental to this end.