The academy, like any other workplace, is characterized by social, difference-creating processes that, seemly inevitably, results in unequal working conditions among employees. Subtile, informal structures of power, as opposed to the formal once, are both complex and difficult to detect, but research show that patterns of inequality based primarily on gender, ethnicity, religion and language create difficult obstacles to inclusion and equal treatment in academia. So, how about University West? How inclusive are we as an organization? What do the employees themselves have to say, if asked? The overall aim of our research project was, in accordance with the above-mentioned questions, to seek knowledge about employees’ thoughts on, and experiences of, inclusion in everyday working life at University West, with a particular focus on ethnicity.

Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used for collecting and processing of data. In order to gain an overview of employees’ perceptions of inclusion at University West, a questionnaire, primarily linked to the seven grounds of discrimination, was distributed to all employees. In total 101 responses were received. In parallel with the survey, thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted with employees at the university’s various work units. A comprehensive interview guide with relatively open questions about work and career opportunities was used. The majority of the interviewees are teachers and researchers, and most of them have a migrant background.

The survey shows that experiences of differential treatment are mainly related to gender, age, academic position and social class. Respondents with a migrant background feel that they receive less respect from colleagues than those with a Swedish background, and the same applies to those who consider it difficult to communicate in Swedish. Disparaging comments in everyday work life are mainly linked to factors such as not being able to speak Swedish, nationality, age and ethnicity. The prevalence of derogatory speech about both women and men shows relatively high figures.

During the interviews, it emerged that most of the informants enjoy their work, but that some problematic patterns and behaviours make it difficult to feel welcomed and completely “at home” within the organization. “Us - and - them” categorizations, not least based on ethnic background, but also based on gender, age and religion, are highlighted. A lack of curiosity about experiences and competencies of “others”, alongside with a mono-lingual norm where a perceived demand for “correct” Swedish reinforces the presence of a non-inclusive mono-culture and a feeling of constantly being positioned as “the Other” in everyday working life. Language, not unexpectedly, emerges as a key factor in the demarcation between “us” and “them”, as do restrictive behaviour codes and other local norms. There are several perceived obstacles to work and career opportunities, but the one that most often is mentioned is a lack of personal connections and informal networks within which inquiries and recruitment are perceived to take place on a personal basis rather than on documented experience, merits and skills. Allying oneself with the “right” people, making friends with persons who has power and influence, is seen as a fundamental prerequisite for moving upwards within the organization. The interviewees also pointed to a culture of silence in which it is perceived as difficult, or futile, to raise problems relating to discrimination, racist jargon or sexual harassments. A lack of transparency when it comes to internal funding and recruitment, and a clear discrepancy between organisation’s articulated values and what it really looks like in reality, are further examples of problems raised.

In summary, the empirical data shows us that employees have various experiences of exclusionary behaviors, mechanisms and patterns in everyday working life at Högskolan Väst, and that a greater sensitivity among colleagues and management to unequal working conditions and issues concerning inclusion, is requested. Our hope is that this study will contribute to a more open discussion about these types of sensitive issues, issues that more often need to be addressed as a common problem for the entire organization, rather than a problem for just a few.

Akademin, precis som alla andra arbetsplatser, kännetecknas av sociala, skillnadsskapande processer som till synes oundvikligen resulterar i ojämlika arbetsvillkor bland de anställda. Subtila, informella maktstrukturer, till skillnad från de formella, är både komplexa och svåra att upptäcka, men forskning visar att mönster av ojämlikhet baserade på främst kön, etnicitet, religion och språk skapar svåra hinder för inkludering och likabehandling inom akademin. Så, vad sägs om Högskolan Väst? Hur inkluderande är Högskolan Väst som organisation? Vad har de anställda själva att säga om de tillfrågas? Det övergripande syftet med vårt forskningsprojekt var att, i enlighet med ovan nämnda frågeställningar, söka kunskap om anställdas tankar om, och erfarenheter av, inkludering i det dagliga arbetslivet på Högskolan Väst, med särskilt fokus på etnicitet.

Både kvalitativa och kvantitativa forskningsmetoder användes för insamling och bearbetning av data. För att få en överblick över medarbetarnas uppfattningar om inkludering på Högskolan Väst skickades en enkät, främst kopplad till de sju diskrimineringsgrunderna, ut till samtliga medarbetare. Sammanlagt inkom 101 svar. Parallellt med kartläggningen genomfördes tretton djupintervjuer med medarbetare på högskolans olika arbetsenheter. En omfattande intervjuguide med relativt öppna frågor om arbete och karriärmöjligheter användes. Största delen av de intervjuade är lärare och forskare, och de flesta av dem har invandrarbakgrund.

Undersökningen visar att upplevelser av särbehandling främst är relaterade till kön, ålder, akademisk position och social klass. Respondenter med invandrarbakgrund upplever att de får mindre respekt från kollegor än de med svensk bakgrund, och detsamma gäller de som anser att det är svårt att kommunicera på svenska. Nedsättande kommentarer i vardagen är främst kopplade till faktorer som att inte kunna svenska, nationalitet, ålder och etnicitet. Förekomsten av nedsättande uttalanden om både kvinnor och män är relativt hög.

Under intervjuerna framkom att de flesta av informanterna trivs med sitt arbete, men att vissa problematiska mönster och beteenden gör det svårt att känna sig välkommen och helt ”hemma” inom organisationen. ”Vi-och-dom”-kategoriseringar, inte minst utifrån etnisk bakgrund, men även utifrån kön, ålder och religion, lyfts fram. En brist på nyfikenhet på ”de andras” erfarenheter och kompetenser, tillsammans med en enspråkig norm där ett upplevt krav på ”korrekt” svenska förstärker närvaron av en icke-inkluderande monokultur och en känsla av att ständigt positioneras som ”den Andre” i det dagliga arbetslivet. Språket framstår inte oväntat som en nyckelfaktor i gränsdragningen mellan ”vi” och ”dem”, liksom restriktiva beteenderegler och andra lokala normer. Det finns flera upplevda hinder för arbets- och karriärmöjligheter, men det som oftast nämns är brist på personliga kontakter och informella nätverk där förfrågningar och rekryteringar upplevs ske på personliga grunder snarare än på dokumenterad erfarenhet, meriter och kompetens. Att alliera sig med ”rätt” personer, att bli vän med personer som har makt och inflytande, ses som en grundläggande förutsättning för att komma uppåt inom organisationen. De intervjuade pekade också på en tystnadskultur där det upplevs som svårt, eller meningslöst, att ta upp problem som rör diskriminering, rasistisk jargong eller sexuella trakasserier. Bristande transparens när det gäller intern finansiering och rekrytering, och en tydlig diskrepans mellan offentliga värderingar och hur det verkligen ser ut i verkligheten, är ytterligare exempel på problem som framkommer.

BACKGROUND: Non-binary gender adolescents are particularly vulnerable and more likely to be exposed to several socio-psychological difficulties and disorders. It is vital to discover and act on the vulnerabilities they encounter. The present study aims to describe the somatic and mental health, affect state, frequency of risk behaviors, victimization and negative psychosocial factors, as well as the personality profiles of non-binary adolescents. In this study the concept of gender non-binary is used and captured respondents who selected "neither of these" as their gender from the possible options (female/male/neither of these).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was collected between September 2020 and February 2021 in Sweden, Morocco, Serbia, Vietnam, and the United States. The cross-sectional, retrospective study utilized the electronic version of the Mental and Somatic Health without borders (MeSHe) survey. From the over 5,000 responses of 15-19-year-old adolescents, 58 respondents identified as being non-binary, and built our study population. Their data was analyzed with descriptive statistic methods.

RESULTS: Close to a fourth of adolescents identifying as non-binary reported the existence of at least one somatic disease. The most prevalent somatic disease was allergies. Almost one-third had suffered from pain either often or all the time in the past 12 months. The highest levels of perceived psychological distress were measured using obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, and interpersonal sensitivity. The average level of alcohol and drug use during the past 12 months was low. About 40% of non-binary adolescents reported having experienced physical abuse, and half of them experienced psychological abuse at some point in their lives. Seventeen percent reported living with adults with alcohol-use problems. Non-binary adolescents' personalities were found to be dominated by high scores in Openness, Neuroticism, and Agreeableness.

CONCLUSION: This study presents a detailed biopsychosocial picture of a multinational sample of non-binary adolescents. Our study suggests that awareness and support are required from all fields of society, including family, school, healthcare, and educational institutions, for cis-normative culture to progress toward a greater understanding of and respect for gender diversity.

Unusually many refugees have arrived in Sweden during the 2010s, only in 2015 did 163,000 refugees seeking for asylum. Many came because of the war in Syria that has been taking place since 2011, but during the period many people have been forced to flee war, violence and natural disasters from a number of other countries as well. A large part of the newly arrived were placed in refugee facilities while waiting for decision of residence permit. Restad Gård, just outside the city Vänersborg, in the west part of Sweden, is one of the biggest refugee facilities in the country. This study is about the situation for the newly arrived refugees at the facility, and especially about the self-organization a group of refugees started under the name Support Group. Initially, the reason for the self-organization was to solve several acute needs and problems at the facility, later on it was developed to a new model for including refugees into the new community, and to involve themselves in the process.

The purpose of the study was to investigate how self-organization among asylum-seekers in the asylum facility was experienced to affect the inclusion process in the new country. Through group interviews and individual interviews we have mainly focused on the asylum-seekers' own experiences of how their activities influenced the inclusion process and relationships with other residents and actors with which they interacted. The asylum-seekers own stories, which are rarely heard, are here given a necessary space. We have also asked for experience among other involved actors, and we highlight relevant media submissions as well as authorities' actions on the matter. It was also our ambition to provide a relatively detailed description of the process during the period in question, 2013-2017, in order to document it. Other topics discussed during the interviews were how the asylum-seekers were received in the new country; how they experienced their time at the facility; how the self-organization started and developed; how collaborations with other actors arose and worked; which their goals with the self-organization were; and if they think they succeed to achieve these. The media material partly reflects how the group communicated its activities outwardly, and partly how local press represented and commented on them. Material from the authorities depicts some of the more formal conditions for the asylum seekers work and how this partially changed over time.

The study shows that work on self-organization has made a difference for the situation of asylum-seekers in several ways; they have created many activities at the asylum facility, which reduced the risk of insomnia, passivation and mental ill health during the often long waiting period; opportunities for preparing and qualifying for an inclusion process have been improved; found methods to quickly bring people into internship and work; people's identities, solidarity and control of their own situation have been strengthened; the image of refugees as passive victims and aid recipients has been partially challenged; many constructive collaborations withother actors have been established and they have created a common voice for the group capable to claim their own needs and wishes.

At the same time, it appears that perceived differences between groups of asylum-seekers sometimes prevent the possibility of reaching all asylum-seekers, and they often have difficulties with being recognised as equal, competent and full-fledged partners as conceptions about "the other" as dependent, passive and beneficiaries dominate, which tend to worsen when they, by other actors, are perceived as competitors for the money that is searchable for inclusion work.

If self-organization among asylum seekers will have the opportunity to continue to develop into new inclusion methods, it might contribute to mobilizing the group's resources and thereby a faster and smoother inclusion process. Central to this is that practical aspects of inclusion - such as work and living, housing, language and education – should be related to ideas about identification and inhesion if newcomers social and cultural position are about to change. Crucial for success is also how authorities and other citizens will respond to, providing space for and utilize the constructive power created by the self-organization.

Under 2010-talet har ovanligt många flyktingar kommit till Sverige, bortemot 163 000 sökte asyl enbart under 2015. Många kom på grund av kriget i Syrien som pågått sedan 2011, men även från ett flertal andra länder har människor tvingats fly krig, våld och naturkatastrofer under perioden. En stor del av de nyanlända placerades på flyktinganläggningar i väntan på besked om uppehållstillstånd. En av landets största flyktinganläggningar är Restad Gård strax utanför Vänersborg. Denna studie handlar om situationen för nyanlända på anläggningen, och framför allt om den självorganisering som en grupp flyktingar startade under beteckningen Support Group. Inledningsvis var anledningen till självorganiseringen att lösa flera akuta behov och problem på anläggningen, senare kom den att utvecklas till en ny modell för att inkludera nyanlända i det nya samhället och göra dem själva delaktiga i processen.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur självorganisering bland asylsökande på en asylanläggning i Västsverige upplevdes inverka på inkluderingsprocessen i det nya landet. Genom fokusgruppsintervjuer och individuella intervjuer har vi främst fokuserat på asylsökandes egna upplevelser av hur aktiviteterna de anordnat har påverkat inkluderingsprocessen och relationer till övriga boende och andra aktörer de samverkat med. Deras egna berättelser, som sällan hörs, får här ett behövligt utrymme. Vi har också frågat efter erfarenheter bland andra inblandade aktörer samt lyfter fram relevanta mediala inlägg samt myndigheters agerande i frågan. En ambition har också varit att bidra med en relativt detaljerad beskrivning av processen under den valda perioden, 2013-2017, i syfte att få den dokumenterad. Andra teman som diskuterats under intervjuerna är hur de asylsökande blev mottagna i det nya landet, hur de har upplevt tiden på anläggningen, hur självorganiseringen startade och utvecklades, på vilka sätt de arbetat för att vara ett stöd för ökat självförtroende och kunskaper bland asylsökande, hur samarbeten med övriga aktörer kom till stånd och hur de fungerat, vilka deras mål varit med självorganiseringen och om de tycker att de lyckats uppnå dessa. Det mediala materialet speglar dels hur gruppen kommunicerat sina aktiviteter utåt, dels hur lokal press återgett och kommenterat skeendena. Myndighetsmaterial skildrar en del av de mer formella förutsättningarna för de asylsökandes arbete och hur detta delvis förändrats under tidsperioden.

Studien visar att arbetet med självorganiseringen har gjort skillnad för de asylsökandes situation på flera sätt; de har skapat många aktiviteter på asylanläggningen vilket minskat risken för håglöshet, passivisering och psykisk ohälsa under den ofta långa väntetiden; möjligheter att förbereda och kvalificera sig för en inkluderingsprocess har förbättrats; hittat former för att snabbt få ut människor i praktik och arbete; människors identiteter, gemenskap och kontroll över den egna situationen har stärkts; bilden av flyktingar som passiva offer och hjälpmottagare har delvis utmanats; många goda samarbeten med övriga aktörer har etablerats och de har skapat en gemensam röst för gruppen med kraft att hävda deras egna behov och önskemål.

Samtidigt framkommer det att upplevda skillnader mellan grupper av asylsökande hindrar ibland möjligheten att nå alla asylsökande; de ofta har problem med att bli erkända som jämbördig, kompetent och fullvärdig samarbetspartner då föreställningar om "den andre" som beroende,passiv och hjälpmottagande flykting dominerar och det tenderar att förvärras då de av övriga aktörer upplevs som konkurrenter om de pengar som finns att söka för inkluderingsarbete.

Om självorganisering bland asylsökande får möjlighet att fortsätta utvecklas till nya metoder för inkludering kan det bidra till mobilisering av gruppens resurser och en snabbare och smidigare inkludering. Centralt är då att såväl praktiska aspekter av inkludering – som arbete och försörjning, bostad, språk och utbildning – också bör relateras till föreställningar om identifikation och tillhörighet, för att nyanländas sociala och kulturella position ska kunna förändras. Avgörande för om det lyckas är även hur myndigheter och alla övriga medborgare lyckas bemöta, ge utrymme för och ta tillvara den konstruktiva kraft som skapas av självorganiseringen.

The painting trade is dominated by men, both concerning numbers and with regards to how the job as a painter is supposed to be performed. There doesn't have to be a problem with the actual performance of the job. But on the other hand problems arise when gender coded traditions hinder the necessary improvement of the trade and affect the working conditions for painters of all kinds. In daily work situations, men as well as women need to relate to the masculine norms of the trade. They all do it in different ways, consciously and subconsciously. But things are changing. The profession and the trade are in the middle of a transformation where traditional conceptions of gender are challenged. The number of educated female painters is increasing, and they have difficulties finding their place in the trade. There is no fast and simple solution of this gender equality problem, but there are methods available for how serious gender equality interventions can be carried out. Above all the problem demands interruptions of old patterns of thought and behaviour in order to make a change. This text presents results from an ethnographic study of the painting trade and shows how established patterns are defended as well as questioned in the daily work. The aim of the study is to understand how working conditions, competence and know-how, work organisation and division of labour, and management attitudes are related to conceptions of masculinity and femininity.