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VAM-Velferd, arbeid og migrasjon

Downplaying difference? How ethnic minorities navigate discrimination in Norway

Alternative title: Nedtone forskjellighet? Etniske minoriteters håndtering av diskriminering i Norge

Awarded: NOK 13.4 mill.

Project Number:

313682

Application Type:

Project Period:

2021 - 2025

Funding received from:

Location:

Subject Fields:

Discrimination runs against the most fundamental values of modern societies. Even in egalitarian welfare states such as Norway, there is ample evidence of discrimination against ethnic minorities in hiring processes. However, there is an acute lack of knowledge about how ethnic minorities respond to and navigate this reality. The primary aim of NAVIGATE is to generate knowledge about how ethnic minorities in Norway adjust their career preferences and behavior in response to anticipated discrimination at different stages of the career trajectory, from the job search phase, through the transition from education to work and throughout their labor market careers. We aim to answer three overarching questions: • To what extent do ethnic minorities self-select into particular segments of the labor market to avoid discrimination? • Do they downplay racial and ethnic cues when applying for jobs, and how do they adapt to anticipated discrimination once they have secured a job? • To the extent that ethnic minority job seekers and employees attempt to cope with (the prospect of) discrimination, does it matter for their labor market outcomes? The project is organized in three work packages (WPs). Deploying qualitative and experimental data, WP1 focus on the job search phase, and explore the relationship between minorities physical appearance and what type of de-stigmatization strategies they deploy to avoid hiring discrimination. Using quantitative data, WP2 focus on the transition between education and work, and explore if de-stigmatization strategies, such as changing to a Norwegian sounding surname, matter for minorities labor market outcomes. Deploying qualitative and quantitative data, WP3 focus on the strategies ethnic minorities apply to navigate discrimination and subtle exclusion in the labor market. Preliminary findings from interviews with job seekers suggest that despite a reluctance of interpreting their job search experiences through narratives of discrimination, all informants employ a range of destigmatization strategies to avoid discrimination. Informants engage in detailed management of their racial appearance in the CV photographs and hide or downplay minority-specific cues in their resumes. During 2023 we have facilitated a knowledge-based dialogue with stakeholders, such as Norwegian Center against Racism and JobbX. We have also engaged in networks such as Big Enough Global, and presented our preliminary findings to The Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi).

Discrimination runs against the most fundamental values of modern societies. Even in egalitarian welfare states such as Norway, there is ample evidence of discrimination against ethnic minorities in hiring processes. However, there is an acute lack of knowledge about how ethnic minorities respond to and navigate this reality. To what extent do they self-select into particular segments of the labor market to avoid discrimination? Do they downplay racial and ethnic cues when applying for jobs, and how do they adapt to anticipated discrimination once they have secured a job? To the extent that ethnic minority job seekers and employees attempt to cope with (the prospect of) discrimination, does it matter for their labor market outcomes? This project is the first of its kind to investigate processes of self-selection among immigrants and their descendants in a European context, the potential negative consequences of self-selection in terms of minorities’ self-worth, and the potential rewards of self-selection in terms of their labor market outcomes. An interdisciplinary team of sociologists, social psychologists and economist will through an innovative combination of methodological approaches analyze self-selection processes at different stages of minorities’ career trajectories.The project is organized in three work packages (WPs). Deploying qualitative and experimental data, WP1 focus on the job search phase, and explore the relationship between minorities physical appearance and what type of de-stigmatization strategies they deploy to avoid hiring discrimination. Using quantitative data, WP2 focus on the transition between education and work, and explore if de-stigmatization strategies, such as changing to a Norwegian sounding surname, matter for minorities labor market outcomes. Deploying qualitative and quantitative data, WP3 focus on the strategies ethnic minorities apply to navigate discrimination and subtle exclusion in the labor market.

Publications from Cristin

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Funding scheme:

VAM-Velferd, arbeid og migrasjon