James Savage, “Swedes keenest on ethnic minorities,” (Stockholm’s) The Local, 24 January 2007.

 

OVERVIEW

Published: 24th January 2007 

Swedes are the quickest in the European Union to embrace the concept of the multi-cultural society. They are also among the least satisfied with efforts to combat discrimination, according to a new “Eurobarometer” survey.

In Sweden, 86% of those asked in the survey took the view that ethic minorities enrich the country's culture. Fewer than 4 out of 10 respondents shared this opinion in Malta (32%) and Cyprus (39%). 
"It is pleasing that so many people are positive towards ethnic diversity in society," Sweden's integration minister Nyamko Sabuni told The Local.

"The government's aim is for Sweden to become even better at making use of that diversity. Everyone who wants to work should be get the opportunity to do so," she said.

Yet in an apparent paradox, a mere 28 percent of those asked said that enough was being done to tackle discrimination in Swedish society—only Poles were less satisfied.

Sabuni said the government recognized that more needed to be done to combat discrimination, and pointed to measures that the government is taking.

"One part of this is to create clear, effective and cogent legislation against discrimination. It is important that damages in discrimination cases are really significant. We are also increasing the budget of the Ombudsman Against Ethnic Discrimination by 13 million kronor in 2007," she said.

“Eurobarometer” asked people across the EU whether they thought discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, race and religion was common in their own countries.

Some 63 percent of Swedes thought discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation was widespread, the 5th highest figure in the EU. Italians were most likely to say that gay people are discriminated against, with 73 percent of respondents saying that this was common. The EU average was 50 percent.

Age discrimination is uncommon in Sweden, however, at least to judge from the opinions of those asked in the survey. Only 36 percent of Swedes thought that age discrimination was widespread in society, compared to 66 percent in Hungary and 46 percent in the EU as a whole.

Religious discrimination in famously secular Sweden was viewed as widespread by 56 percent of those surveyed. This contrasts with France, where 63 percent of those asked thought discrimination on the basis of religion or beliefs was common, and with Latvia, where only ten percent believed this to be the case. 

Some 54 percent of those asked thought the wearing of religious symbols in the workplace was acceptable, contrasting with 79 percent in Malta. 

With Sweden usually seen as a leading feminist nation, gender equality might be expected to be a given, but in fact 50 percent of those asked thought that gender discrimination was widespread, a figure lower only than those of Italy and Spain. 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION

 

1. How important a topic do you believe this to be? Do you tend to be for or against increased multiculturalism?  Why or why not?

2.  Do you trust these statistics?  Why or why not?

3.  What do these statistics tell you about opinions in European countries?  How do you see your own country in terms of these questions?

4.  Do you see any differences between discrimination against various minority ethnicities, women and gay people? How do you personally, and how do you see your society, defining discrimination? Do people tend to have a common definition of discrimination?

5.  What do you make of the fact that half of Swedes polled considered gender discrimination to be widespread?

6.  How do you think your society should treat ethnic minorities (women and gays) when it comes to specifics? What should be our end goal?

IMPLICATIONS

 

1.  Globalization, immigration, economic and employment tensions, the need for identity and core values (individually and nationally) make this an important matter to discuss, don’t you think?

2.   Travelers to Scandinavia (and Sweden in particular) are impressed by how far these counties have come in tolerance and hospitality (including welfare). It is easy to see how tensions can arise and why they must be addressed.

3.   It is very important that nations and cultures learn from one another, from the unique situations in various countries.