How do the welfare state and civil society organizations help shape the lived experiences of asylum seekers?
| This project brings together theory and practice to link the politics of the welfare state and local, street-level organizations with the lived experiences of asylum-seekers in Sweden and Denmark. |
Mass migrations test the will and capacity of western democracies to “make asylum” in ways that protect human rights, provide the foundations for a new life, and incorporate refugees into host communities. This project probes the making of asylum, closely interrogating how asylum is made through the everyday practices of street-level organizations and how those organizations shape the lived experience of asylum-seekers and the formation of attitudes about democracy and the welfare state. It focuses on Sweden and Denmark, countries known for their humanitarian commitments and strong welfare state protections, yet challenged by a recent surge in asylum-seeking as millions have fled zones of conflict, violence, and persecution. In Scandinavian countries, as elsewhere in Europe, mass migration has produced a “refugee crisis,” provoking deep concerns about the incorporation of newcomers and fueling anti-immigrant and populist opposition. This project investigates the conflicted politics of asylum, developing a theoretical approach that links the macro-politics of the welfare state to the micro-politics of street-level organizations and the lived experience of asylum-seekers. It aims to open new scholarly avenues for the study of human rights, political institutions, and the welfare state and to provide insights into the asylum experience.
Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, and WISER (Welfare, Innovation, Social Work and Employment Relations
Aalborg University
Karen Nielsen Breidahl is an Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and Society at Aalborg Universitet. For details on her research interests and publications, please see her profile page.
Associate Professor Emerita, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice; Associate Faculty, Department of Political Science
University of Chicago
Evelyn Z. Brodkin is one of the leading scholars of street-level organizations (SLOs), the agencies at the front-lines of public policy delivery. Her research has contributed to the theoretical and empirical development of SLOs as a field of study for investigating welfare state politics, the...
Professor
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
To learn about Staffan Höjer's research and publications, please see his profile page at the University of Gothenburg.
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The Making Asylum research team present their findings to experts in Copenhagen. Topics include case studies from Sweden and Denmark, life in a "suspended state," and prospects for policy reform.
Carousel with 3 slides shown at a time. Use the Previous and Next buttons to navigate, or the slide dot buttons at the end to jump to slides.
The Making Asylum research team present their findings to experts in Copenhagen. Topics include case studies from Sweden and Denmark, life in a "suspended state," and prospects for policy reform.
