Problematization of integration in Norwegian policymaking – integration through employment or volunteerism?

Abstract

Integration has become a buzzword in debates and discussions on immigration which also reflects upon Norwegian policymaking. In this article, we do a policy analysis of twenty-nine Norwegian governmental documents published between 1973 and 2021 and ask how the understanding of integration has changed during that time. We further ask how integration has been problematized in these documents. Our study is inspired by Bacchi’s approach “What’s the problem represented to be” which provides new insights on policymaking and its effects on the population. We find that integration has increasingly been put on a par with employment yet that in recent years policymakers have acknowledged that a focus on employment is too short-sighted. To cover more aspects of integration, the concept everyday life integration has been introduced where the voluntary sector is to play a central role both in terms of social integration and its ability to facilitate finding employment.