<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> The current study explores how immigrants are represented within the two largest political parties in Sweden, the Social Democratic Party and the Moderate Party. Apart from exploring the descriptive representation of immigrants in the Swedish parliament, this article explores whether immigrant representation in the two parties in question results in visible diversity in views on immigration and in particular asylum politics. We are predominantly interested in exploring whether immigrant parliamentarians, who might have identities and experiences differing from the majority of the parliamentarians, represent views departing from the general party lines. The theoretical underpinnings of the article are based on an intersectionality approach and historical and feminist institutionalism, specifically the politics of presence, which explores the link between a critical mass in politics and critical acts or substantive representation. The first findings of the study, which have been reached primarily through a qualitative comparative analysis of survey material, are mixed. The number of Social Democratic and Moderate immigrant parliamentarians does not reach the level of foreign-born citizens in Sweden. Nevertheless, there appears to be room for diverse views on immigration and asylum politics that depart from the general party lines in both parties.</p></abstract>

The current study explores how immigrants are represented within the two largest political parties in Sweden, the Social Democratic Party and the Moderate Party. Apart from exploring the descriptive representation of immigrants in the Swedish parliament, this article explores whether immigrant representation in the two parties in question results in visible diversity in views on immigration and in particular asylum politics. We are predominantly interested in exploring whether immigrant parliamentarians, who might have identities and experiences differing from the majority of the parliamentarians, represent views departing from the general party lines. The theoretical underpinnings of the article are based on an intersectionality approach and historical and feminist institutionalism, specifically the politics of presence, which explores the link between a critical mass in politics and critical acts or substantive representation. The first findings of the study, which have been reached primarily through a qualitative comparative analysis of survey material, are mixed. The number of Social Democratic and Moderate immigrant parliamentarians does not reach the level of foreign-born citizens in Sweden. Nevertheless, there appears to be room for diverse views on immigration and asylum politics that depart from the general party lines in both parties.

Immigrant Representation in the Swedish Parliament: Towards Homogeneity or United Diversity?

Malmö University, Department of Global Political Studies, 205 06 Malmö,

Social Change Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The current study explores how immigrants are represented within the two largest political parties in Sweden, the Social Democratic Party and the Moderate...

Immigrant Representation in the Swedish Parliament: Towards Homogeneity or United Diversity?

Publié en ligne: 21 févr. 2017

Pages: 97 - 120

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/scr-2016-0024

Mots clés
Immigration, Intersectionality, Institutionalism, Descriptive and substantive representation

© by Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Immigrant Representation in the Swedish Parliament: Towards Homogeneity or United Diversity?

Publié en ligne: 21 févr. 2017

Pages: 97 - 120

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/scr-2016-0024

Mots clésImmigration, Intersectionality, Institutionalism, Descriptive and substantive representation

© by Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Mots clés
Immigration, Intersectionality, Institutionalism, Descriptive and substantive representation