Abstract
The study examines civil society agency for social inclusion among Associations Founded on Ethnic Grounds (AFEGs), focusing on their engagement for combating discrimination and enhancing migrant incorporation into the Swedish labour market. The overall rationale of the study investigates the complex institutional conditionality of AFEGs for developing their agency as social movement and civil society actors. The main aim of this study has been to understand how anti-discrimination agencies run by AFEGs, with subsidy support by the state, describe their experiences, and which implications the subsidy may have for the orientation and direction of their actions. The study comprises primarily interviews with anti-discrimination lawyers and heads of two agencies, but also interviews with representatives for the Equality Ombudsman. The greatest challenge for the agencies has been caused by subsidy cutbacks, which have affected both the working conditions of the agencies and other engagements of the AFEGs, such as educational courses among their members, awareness raising concerning the issues of anti-discrimination among different officials, in municipalities, trade unions and among employers. Due to the cutbacks, the civil society actors such as AFEGs have been forced to adapt to market principles by becoming entrepreneurs specialised, in this case, in the field of anti-discrimination law. The study further analyses the effects of this development as well as opportunity structures for collaboration with trade unions and the Equality Ombudsman. Even though these partnerships reveal relational asymmetries, the authors call attention to current and possible future openings in opportunity structures for wider collaboration between AFEGs, trade unions and the Equality Ombudsman.
Highlights
Whereas AFEGs were primarily described in the past in relatively marginal terms as social players, with sporadic participation and with limited membership figures (Bäck and Soininen, 1996), in recent times their organisational life has developed both as regards forms and membership numbers (Aytar, 2007)
The international literature has emphasised the importance of institutional opportunity structures for organisation of AFEGs and their participation in democratic processes (e.g. Koopmans and Statham, 2000). We argue that these associations have met a range of obstacles due to the weakening of the welfare state, and the deregulation and privatisation tied to the neo-liberal orientation in politics and economics, which has affected the conditions for agency among AFEGs
It is clear that AFEGs and their anti-discrimination agencies vis-à-vis recent acknowledgements and current engagements can encounter newly-found negotiation possibilities and channels for co-operation with other actors of the civil society, such as trade unions, and processes where joint efforts may result in innovative approaches for a broader social change
Summary
The study examines civil society agency for social inclusion among Associations Founded on Ethnic Grounds (AFEGs), focusing on their engagement for combating discrimination and enhancing migrant incorporation into the Swedish labour market. Earlier studies in Sweden (Ålund and Reichel, 2007) have indicated the importance of changing opportunity structures for civil agency and institutionalisation of social movements, embedded in new forms of governance based on partnership between the state, the market and civil society.. Earlier studies in Sweden (Ålund and Reichel, 2007) have indicated the importance of changing opportunity structures for civil agency and institutionalisation of social movements, embedded in new forms of governance based on partnership between the state, the market and civil society.1 This overall research agenda will be elucidated through a study of anti-discrimination agencies (ADA) among two national AFEGs federations. The study comprises primarily interviews with anti-discrimination lawyers and heads of the two agencies, and interviews with representatives for the Equality Ombudsman
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