Språkets betydelse för vuxnas integration och psykisk hälsa i samhället. En studie om några utlandsföddas individuella erfarenheter och upplevelser

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this paper has been to study whether or not the Swedish language has any significant impact on immigrant integration and their psychic well-being in Swedish society. By adhering to the theoretical framework of Diaz, Gordon, and Heckmann for integration, and Antonovsky’s theory of salutogenesis, we’ve established our results using qualitative semi-structured interviews to get our empirical evidence in the form of physical interviews. These interviews have been done by using pre-written questions, and the answers have been recorded. A total of five interviews have been conducted; three were given by males and two by females. The results show us that the Swedish language is merely a necessity to achieve a certain degree of status within the market of work. The results also show us that the Swedish language, beyond the scope of work-related topics, is seen more as an asset and a choice rather than an absolute necessity. Though the Swedish language creates more accessible junctions of opportunities for the interviewee to use, it’s not a necessity to achieve social and economic stability. The Swedish language is also not regarded as a necessity to perform leisure activities, thus diminishing its value for individuals who don’t socialize as much as others, or socialize with others who speak the same ethnic language. Yet in that same regard, the Swedish language is agreed to be an absolute necessity to live in Sweden to avoid total isolation. The inability to understand what is said around the interviewees creates a sense of isolation, while at the same time severely limiting the amount of knowledge that can be given, taken, and processed. As such, to achieve the most stable position both economically and socially, the Swedish language needs to be developed to a point where it is seen as a viable option socially but developed enough in work-related environments where it doesn’t impact the individual economically.