hh.sePublications
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
The Role of Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) Program in Enhancing Social Sustainability Among Immigrant Populations in Sweden (2015–2020): A Quantitative Study of Linguistic, Economic, and Social Integration Outcomes
Halmstad University, School of Health and Welfare.
2025 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

This thesis examines how the Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) program has contributed to social sustainability among immigrant populations in Sweden between 2015 and 2020. The central aim is to assess whether participation in SFI supports better access to the labour market, improved language proficiency, and greater social integration. The study also explores the challenges immigrants face in completing the program and in applying their language skills in both social and professional contexts.

A quantitative research approach was used, drawing on descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and cross-tabulations based on secondary data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), the Swedish National Agency for Education, and OECD reports. The findings indicate a significant link between completing the SFI program and better employment outcomes, with program completion associated with greater access to jobs and continued education. The results also highlight the importance of immigrants' pre-migration educational backgrounds in shaping their language learning outcomes within SFI.

However, the study also uncovers ongoing disparities tied to gender, regional variations in program delivery, and literacy levels. Dropout rates remain high, and structural barriers continue to hinder equal opportunities for all participants. These issues point to the limitations of a one-size-fits-all model within the broader Nordic welfare framework and suggest a need for more tailored and locally adapted integration policies.

By offering a detailed, data-driven evaluation of SFI's role in fostering social sustainability, this thesis adds to the existing body of research and outlines key areas for future policy development and academic inquiry.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 51
Keywords [en]
Employment, Integration, Language, Acquisition, Social Sustainability, Swedish for Immigrants.
National Category
Sociology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-56405OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-56405DiVA, id: diva2:1969426
Subject / course
Health and lifestyle
Educational program
Master's Programme in Nordic Welfare, 60 credits
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2025-06-16 Created: 2025-06-15 Last updated: 2025-10-01Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

fulltext(629 kB)114 downloads
File information
File name FULLTEXT02.pdfFile size 629 kBChecksum SHA-512
9abb4fe8726614c33db4e2a8f3558aaa5f3c47fbaa89336f1784d10e99da2a890c65f65acfebc391be93bed2baa9bcb8bfe023621982f51a0fb58ef77efbaf8a
Type fulltextMimetype application/pdf

By organisation
School of Health and Welfare
Sociology

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar
Total: 115 downloads
The number of downloads is the sum of all downloads of full texts. It may include eg previous versions that are now no longer available

urn-nbn

Altmetric score

urn-nbn
Total: 181 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf