The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Christofer Edling

Christofer Edling

Professor

Christofer Edling

Changes in the Personal Networks of Young Immigrants in Sweden

Author

  • Gerald Mollenhorst
  • Christofer Edling
  • Jens Rydgren

Editor

  • Mariella Espinoza-Herold
  • Rina Manuela Contini

Summary, in English

In this chapter, we focus on the social integration of young immigrants in Sweden who themselves and/or one or both of their parents came from Iran or former Yugoslavia. In particular, we look at the share of alters in their core networks who are of the same parental national origin and how this has changed within a period of four years. To explain network changes, we consider the parental national origin similarity among them, changes in opportunities to meet network members, and important life events.

We analyzed two waves of survey data collected in 2010 and 2014 from 1,537 individuals who live in Sweden and who were all born in 1990, including 325 immigrants from Iran, 447 immigrants from former Yugoslavia, and 805 native Swedes. The results indicate that: (a) the share of parental national origin similar alters in the core networks of immigrants significantly increases over time, (b) first-generation immigrants in particular increasingly associate with others who are of the same parental national origin, (c) important life events hardly result in network changes, and (d) schools and work places are social contexts that enhance the social integration of immigrants, because in these contexts immigrants meet and engage in personal relationships with individuals who do not share their parental national origin.

Department/s

  • Sociology
  • Faculty of Social Sciences

Publishing year

2017

Language

English

Pages

223-249

Publication/Series

Living in Two Homes

Document type

Book chapter

Publisher

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Topic

  • Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)

Keywords

  • Personal networks
  • social integration
  • immigrants
  • national origin
  • social contexts
  • Sweden

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISBN: 978-1-78635-781-6
  • ISBN: 978-1-78635-782-3