What Works? Family Influences on Occupational Aspirations among Descendants of Middle Eastern Immigrants on the Swedish Labour Market
In this article, we examine family influences on occupational aspirations among employed descendants of Middle Eastern immigrants. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with native-born descendants of Middle Eastern immigrants. We present and analyse their interpre...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Scandinavian University Press/Universitetsforlaget
2019-01-01
|
| Series: | Nordic Journal of Social Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/njsr/article/view/2235 |
| _version_ | 1797668592572956672 |
|---|---|
| author | Pinar Aslan Nader Ahmadi Stefan Sjöberg Eva Wikström |
| author_facet | Pinar Aslan Nader Ahmadi Stefan Sjöberg Eva Wikström |
| author_sort | Pinar Aslan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this article, we examine family influences on occupational aspirations among employed descendants of Middle Eastern immigrants. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with native-born descendants of Middle Eastern immigrants. We present and analyse their interpretations of their parents’ experiences and living conditions before, during and after migration and demonstrate how these interpretations shaped their own occupational aspirations. We discuss parents’ high expectations of their children in relation to ethnic-community valuations of educational and occupational achievements. These high expectations may increase the chances of social mobility but can also become a negative pressure, especially if parents set high standards but cannot help their children to meet those expectations. In these cases, older siblings who possess valuable knowledge of the educational system and labour market can function as important transferrers of resources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T20:31:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b00f5751008f4d80819730242cfb3e74 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1892-2783 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T20:31:36Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Scandinavian University Press/Universitetsforlaget |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordic Journal of Social Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-b00f5751008f4d80819730242cfb3e742023-10-02T09:01:10ZengScandinavian University Press/UniversitetsforlagetNordic Journal of Social Research1892-27832019-01-01910.7577/njsr.2235What Works? Family Influences on Occupational Aspirations among Descendants of Middle Eastern Immigrants on the Swedish Labour MarketPinar Aslan0Nader Ahmadi1Stefan Sjöberg2Eva Wikström3Umeå University University of GävleThe Swedish Agency for Work Environment ExpertiseUniversity of Gävle, SwedenUmeå University, SwedenIn this article, we examine family influences on occupational aspirations among employed descendants of Middle Eastern immigrants. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with native-born descendants of Middle Eastern immigrants. We present and analyse their interpretations of their parents’ experiences and living conditions before, during and after migration and demonstrate how these interpretations shaped their own occupational aspirations. We discuss parents’ high expectations of their children in relation to ethnic-community valuations of educational and occupational achievements. These high expectations may increase the chances of social mobility but can also become a negative pressure, especially if parents set high standards but cannot help their children to meet those expectations. In these cases, older siblings who possess valuable knowledge of the educational system and labour market can function as important transferrers of resources.https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/njsr/article/view/2235labour market participationdescendants of immigrantsfamily relationssocial capitalcultural capital |
| spellingShingle | Pinar Aslan Nader Ahmadi Stefan Sjöberg Eva Wikström What Works? Family Influences on Occupational Aspirations among Descendants of Middle Eastern Immigrants on the Swedish Labour Market Nordic Journal of Social Research labour market participation descendants of immigrants family relations social capital cultural capital |
| title | What Works? Family Influences on Occupational Aspirations among Descendants of Middle Eastern Immigrants on the Swedish Labour Market |
| title_full | What Works? Family Influences on Occupational Aspirations among Descendants of Middle Eastern Immigrants on the Swedish Labour Market |
| title_fullStr | What Works? Family Influences on Occupational Aspirations among Descendants of Middle Eastern Immigrants on the Swedish Labour Market |
| title_full_unstemmed | What Works? Family Influences on Occupational Aspirations among Descendants of Middle Eastern Immigrants on the Swedish Labour Market |
| title_short | What Works? Family Influences on Occupational Aspirations among Descendants of Middle Eastern Immigrants on the Swedish Labour Market |
| title_sort | what works family influences on occupational aspirations among descendants of middle eastern immigrants on the swedish labour market |
| topic | labour market participation descendants of immigrants family relations social capital cultural capital |
| url | https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/njsr/article/view/2235 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pinaraslan whatworksfamilyinfluencesonoccupationalaspirationsamongdescendantsofmiddleeasternimmigrantsontheswedishlabourmarket AT naderahmadi whatworksfamilyinfluencesonoccupationalaspirationsamongdescendantsofmiddleeasternimmigrantsontheswedishlabourmarket AT stefansjoberg whatworksfamilyinfluencesonoccupationalaspirationsamongdescendantsofmiddleeasternimmigrantsontheswedishlabourmarket AT evawikstrom whatworksfamilyinfluencesonoccupationalaspirationsamongdescendantsofmiddleeasternimmigrantsontheswedishlabourmarket |