Descendants of Immigrants and the Concerned Welfare State

This project examines the ongoing, relational negotiations between the welfare state and the public's understanding of problems, on the one hand, and processes of change in the minority population, on the other.

It is more than 50 years since the first labour immigrants from countries outside Europe established themselves in Norway. This means that Norway currently has an established and complex minority population with different experiences of being a minority in Norway. 

Based on this, we ask: Are the welfare state's understanding of problems up-to-date? Does the "map" correspond to the "terrain"? How is the belonging of descendants affected by the welfare state and the public's understanding of problems? 

What does this look like now when descendants are part of the welfare state, for instance, by working in the child welfare services, the police, schools, the health service and the bureaucracy? 

We will explore these questions in more detail based on data collected through several research projects. One aim is to provide an updated picture of how the welfare state meets a more established minority population, whether it is young people or adult descendants of immigrants who have become parents themselves. 

The project will result in a book to be published in 2025.