From Sweden with love : Sweden's normative and discursive power on gender equality : perspectives of African migrant women living in Sweden

Abstract

This study explores how states influence people’s gender identities by studying the influence of Sweden’s public discourse and gendered language/narrative of gender equality. While the Swedes connect naturally to their ‘Swedishness’ in terms of gender equality, this is often lacking among immigrants because gender equality may have a different meaning to an African migrant woman than to a Swedish woman. Hence, this feminist research explores whether and how African migrant women are socialized into an egalitarian state discourse and changing their minds about patriarchal ideals and embracing gender equality. Research findings reveal that some of these women keep their past views about their identity, roles, and responsibility and remain in subjugated situations regardless of exposure to Sweden’s national narrative. Also, it uncovers that some other African migrant women accept gender equality norms and are using them to gain agency or empowerment within their private sphere. This research therefore argues that the power relations matters in the interface between state discourse and cultural narratives at the public sphere and the practice of these discourses and narratives in the private sphere.