CHILDREN WITH IMMIGRANT BACKGROUNDS IN RURAL SWEDEN

FROM A SCHOOL - AND LIFE HISTORY PERSPECTIVE

Birgitta Ljung Egeland

PH D student, Karlstad University, Sweden

Research topic, theoretical framework

This presentation aims at exploring some possible directions in a newly established PhD-project. The research topic deals with young children with  immigrant backgrounds living in rural Sweden and their experiences of migration and of school and home; experiences that hold different social and cultural information.  In a Swedish context, previous studies on the experiences of children with immigrant backgrounds have mainly focused on adolescents living in segregated urban multicultural areas, often going to schools with high proportions of immigrants.

When we discuss different childhoods and different living conditions it is interesting to also include place and geographical belonging. Children in rural environments not only need to relate to each other, but also to their urban correspondents; children in the cities. Is urban childhood the norm in public discourse and how are children in rural settings a part of this discourse? Can we, in terms of master and counter narratives, talk about such a master narrative describing children with immigrant backgrounds living in Swedish suburbs?  

The overall aim of this project is to understand how children with immigrant backgrounds experience living, playing and learning in a rural setting in Sweden, that is to understand the dynamics of their everyday lives and their negotiating of multiple social identities.  What possibilities can children in rural settings tell us about and what do they not tell us about that we might expect?

Drawing on the perspective of children’s geographies and narrative inquiry theory and methods, the importance of situated knowledge for understanding children’s narratives is argued.

Methodology/research design

A study is planned involving eight children with immigrant backgrounds living in rural Sweden who will be asked to talk about themselves and their lives at home and in school.  The empirical material is collected by interviews and the result will be presented as stories told by the children and the analytic approach is inspired by narrative analysis.

Expected findings

The project intend to bring new perspectives on experiences of place, school and home concerning children with immigrant backgrounds living in rural Sweden. The results are supposed to be of relevance for the understanding of children’s identity work and social geographies in rural schools and neighbourhoods.