Part 2 - Immigrant women's paths to higher education degrees: a study on equality and integration in society

Integration into a new society is a complex process that involves becoming an accepted part of the new society while at the same time being able to retain what is important from one’s life history. For many immigrant women, higher education is an important transition period to a new society and to career and life opportunities. Swedish higher education has an overarching mission to facilitate gender equality in education and future career paths. Against this background, the aim of the project is to explore immigrant women’s paths to and through higher education and to highlight how different events can affect their paths through higher education and their view of the future.

The study examines first-generation immigrant women who have graduated from a college/university in Sweden and will be carried out at a national level. The project is based on the assumption of “turning points”; unforeseen events that can affect women’s career and life opportunities. Data collection takes place at the individual level through interviews with a focus on the women’s life stories. Biographical mapping is also used to develop and deepen the interviews. Unlike previous studies that have mostly focused on problematic aspects of immigration, the results will contribute to knowledge about success factors and strategies that, according to the women, have been important for their path to and through higher education.

Furthermore, the study aims to contribute to the development of the institutions' approach to diversity in higher education. Knowledge from the study is useful for the design of policies and strategies that enable a greater understanding of the importance of diversity in society and can contribute to the political and public health debate.