Policies in Municipal Public Services and Migration to Norway

Authors

  • Brita Gjerstad International Research Institute of Stavanger
  • Øystein Lund Johannessen Centre for Intercultural Communication
  • Svein Ingve Nødland International Research Institute of Stavanger
  • Geir Skeie University of Stavanger
  • Gunn Vedøy International Research Institute of Stavanger

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.12.2015.31_2.11

Keywords:

Norway, Migration, Public Services

Abstract

Today, approximately 15% of the total Norwegian population of 5 million are immigrants, and this number is growing. This article investigates how public social service institutions and local policies are challenged by the new realities of migration and how they attempt to meet them in Norway, by identifying and discussing tensions between policies and practices. The article exemplifies these tensions through focusing on the Education sector and the Health and Care sector, and their respective treatment of two groups, labour migrants and refugees. Interviews were conducted with immigrants and public service providers in three municipalities. In the analysis of various white papers on migration and integration issues, we use the concepts of group pluralism and individual pluralism as analytical tools. In the empirical analysis, we have searched for critical issues arising in the relationship between providers and receivers of services. We find that when national policies meet practice at the municipal level, the municipal context and economic incentives are important factors. Other central aspects include the history, traditions and functions of the social service institutions that are responsible for carrying out national policies at the municipal level. Here, the main professional bodies appear to exercise their own particular logic in regards to the integration and inclusion of migrants into the Norwegian society.

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Author Biographies

Brita Gjerstad, International Research Institute of Stavanger

Is a Senior Research Scientist at the International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS) and holds an MPhil in Sociology. Her research interests include work migration, the use of technology in the public sector, and transportation.

Øystein Lund Johannessen, Centre for Intercultural Communication

Is a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Intercultural Communication, Stavanger and PhD student at the University of Stavanger. Johannessen has an MA in Anthropology, and has investigated issues related to international development and education, especially in Latin America and Africa. He has also studied how teachers work with cultural diversity and the broader role of intercultural issues in different work places.

Svein Ingve Nødland, International Research Institute of Stavanger

Is a Senior Research Scientist at the International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS), andan economist. He has over 20 years of experience in research, and his field of expertise includes civic organizations and NGOs, the public sector, immigration issues, and health and care services. He also has extensive administrative experience.

Geir Skeie, University of Stavanger

Is a Professor of Religious Education at Stockholm University and University of Stavanger. Skeie’s main research interests cover the politics and philosophy of religious education, and empirical studies of religious education practice including collaborative practice development. He has also researched the field of intercultural education and broader intercultural issues.

Gunn Vedøy, International Research Institute of Stavanger

Holds a PhD in Educational Leadership from the University of Oslo. She is currently working as a Senior Research Scientist at the International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS). At IRIS she is involved in projects concerning education, migration and minorities, and innovation in public sector.

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Published

2015-02-09

How to Cite

Gjerstad, Brita, Øystein Lund Johannessen, Svein Ingve Nødland, Geir Skeie, and Gunn Vedøy. 2015. “Policies in Municipal Public Services and Migration to Norway”. Politeja 12 (8 (31/2):159-84. https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.12.2015.31_2.11.

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 8 (31/2) (2015): Ethnicity, Culture, Politics

Section

Articles

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