Health in Swedish integration policies – a discourse analysis
Previous research has indicated that migrants risk facing inequities both internationally and in Sweden; integration policies are therefore important to study. How health is described in policies affects how health interventions are approached. Discourse analysis offers a way of understanding how he...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2025.2463193 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832086914501443584 |
|---|---|
| author | Sara Svanholm Heidi Carlerby Eija Viitasara |
| author_facet | Sara Svanholm Heidi Carlerby Eija Viitasara |
| author_sort | Sara Svanholm |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous research has indicated that migrants risk facing inequities both internationally and in Sweden; integration policies are therefore important to study. How health is described in policies affects how health interventions are approached. Discourse analysis offers a way of understanding how health is framed within the integration policies affecting newly arrived migrants in Sweden. The aim was to analyse the health discourses used in Swedish and European Union (EU) integration policies. A discourse analysis, inspired by Fairclough, was performed on integration policies related to Sweden, at local, regional, national and EU levels. The policies of the Establishment Program, which focuses on newly arrived migrants (refugees, persons of subsidiary protection and their relatives who arrived through family reunification), were chosen for the analysis, and 17 documents were analysed in total. The analysis of the documents showed how the health discourses were expressed in the form of the medicalisation of health, the individualisation of health and the risk of ill health. A pathogenic approach to health was visible in the policies and individual disease prevention or rehabilitation was the main health focus. The results showed similarities to previous research highlighting how a particular understanding of health in a neoliberal context is formed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-414bebaa936b4d59b0c99a3d3fe09bb8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2242-3982 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-414bebaa936b4d59b0c99a3d3fe09bb82025-02-06T09:24:58ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Circumpolar Health2242-39822025-12-0184110.1080/22423982.2025.2463193Health in Swedish integration policies – a discourse analysisSara Svanholm0Heidi Carlerby1Eija Viitasara2Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, SwedenDepartment of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, SwedenDepartment of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, SwedenPrevious research has indicated that migrants risk facing inequities both internationally and in Sweden; integration policies are therefore important to study. How health is described in policies affects how health interventions are approached. Discourse analysis offers a way of understanding how health is framed within the integration policies affecting newly arrived migrants in Sweden. The aim was to analyse the health discourses used in Swedish and European Union (EU) integration policies. A discourse analysis, inspired by Fairclough, was performed on integration policies related to Sweden, at local, regional, national and EU levels. The policies of the Establishment Program, which focuses on newly arrived migrants (refugees, persons of subsidiary protection and their relatives who arrived through family reunification), were chosen for the analysis, and 17 documents were analysed in total. The analysis of the documents showed how the health discourses were expressed in the form of the medicalisation of health, the individualisation of health and the risk of ill health. A pathogenic approach to health was visible in the policies and individual disease prevention or rehabilitation was the main health focus. The results showed similarities to previous research highlighting how a particular understanding of health in a neoliberal context is formed.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2025.2463193Discourse analysisdisease preventionhealth promotionintegration policiesnewly arrived migrants |
| spellingShingle | Sara Svanholm Heidi Carlerby Eija Viitasara Health in Swedish integration policies – a discourse analysis International Journal of Circumpolar Health Discourse analysis disease prevention health promotion integration policies newly arrived migrants |
| title | Health in Swedish integration policies – a discourse analysis |
| title_full | Health in Swedish integration policies – a discourse analysis |
| title_fullStr | Health in Swedish integration policies – a discourse analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Health in Swedish integration policies – a discourse analysis |
| title_short | Health in Swedish integration policies – a discourse analysis |
| title_sort | health in swedish integration policies a discourse analysis |
| topic | Discourse analysis disease prevention health promotion integration policies newly arrived migrants |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2025.2463193 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sarasvanholm healthinswedishintegrationpoliciesadiscourseanalysis AT heidicarlerby healthinswedishintegrationpoliciesadiscourseanalysis AT eijaviitasara healthinswedishintegrationpoliciesadiscourseanalysis |