Citizenship unites all citizens and account for the affinity with Sweden. So it is written in the Swedish medborgarskapslagens the first section.
It underlines the equality beyond cultural and socio-economic differences. It is a solid foundation for a civic patriotism, or, if you like, a liberal nationalism, in a multi-ethnic society. However, it is a poor description of how it actually works in the day. Citizenship has a low status in Sweden. The causes go far back and is partially the result of conscious political decisions.
We were the first in the world to decouple citizenship from political rights. Already in the municipality – and landstingsvalen 1976 could non-citizens to vote. With time, Sweden has also become more and more alone does not impose any requirements on citizenship than living in the country for a limited, and comparatively short, period.
likely to remain meaningless, or at best a practical good. In practice, citizenship has been understood: as a ticket to the Swedish passport. Important for those who want to travel from Sweden – temporarily or forever – but feebly, as symbolpolitiskt tools.
It should be stressed that this policy has never reflected any distinctive, more inclusive, the Swedish approach to strangers. The easily accessible citizenship, in combination with the pompous tolerance and mångfaldsretorik, have rather darkened the high thresholds that are waiting in the workplace, in associations and in social contexts.
as still indicate children who have lived their entire lives in Sweden, with reference to formal deficiencies in the parents ‘ conditions of employment or id-documents. Against the cloudy ideas about härkomstens importance of weighing liberal ideas about citizenship easy.
Januariavtalets 41:a paragraph is, therefore, welcome the reading: ”We want to strengthen the citizenship status and to promote an inclusive society. Therefore, an approved test in English and in basic civics to be a requirement for citizenship in Sweden.”
It sounds excellent. But the devil is in the details.
Citizenship is the ultimate goal, not the way there.
brought into språkkravet in the Swedish debate in 2002, it was with a reversed logic. Språkkravet was justified as a way to increase incentives to learn English. As if immigrants make the effort enough.
the Remains of these children was still in place in 2013 medborgarskapsutredning. Although taken cautious steps in the right direction but instead of the language – the alliance government had its investigators in the short leash at the time – proposed a ”språkbonus”. Citizenship for everyone, but faster for those who learn Swedish. It never was and therefore we didn’t further a devaluation of the citizenship role.
in his government declaration a couple of weeks ago became the first Swedish prime minister to pledge the higher demands of citizenship had januariavtalets setting is omitted. Nothing was said now about citizenship status. Instead stopped språkkravet into a reasoning about the significance of language for integration.
Certainly important, but not the same thing. And as an echo of the early 2000’s pseudodebatt on racism showed up with some of our linguists who warned of the lack of scientific support for that language benefits of language learning why ”of each test is exclusionary”.
The desired effect, however, is the reverse. Language skills will strengthen the citizenship status and, by extension, improve the prospects for equality in an ethnically diverse society. Citizenship is the ultimate goal, not the way there.
but content-wise more important, is the other half of the agreement: the requirement for approved social skills. Right designed can such a sample be welcome. But there are pitfalls.
It must be relevant. A test that asks questions about landskapsblommor, residensstäder or mps is pointless. This is not a request to ”Who knows the most?”.
But as soon as the sample is approaching the heart of the matter – the principles of democracy, liberal values, equality practice occurs the next trade-off: how to test the knowledge of society’s standards but to test the prospective citizen’s values? How tempting it is to give in to the assimilationens winds and through the back door, sneak into requirements on the correct answer in the valuation issues, we need to choose a different path. A liberal democratic state allows each citizen to have their values in peace.
be beneficial for all the old and would-be Swedish citizens by raising the discussion about what should and should not be common in our society.
In the worst case, an idealized picture of what standards to provide a basis for a state-sanctioned misstänkliggörande of migrants ‘ values.
as recently casually provpratade about Swedish values to make sure that this lands well. The risk of getting it wrong should not be underestimated.
