Distinktion utan skillnad : En kvalitativ studie om hur socialarbetare upplever mångfald inom en arbetsgrupp

Sammanfattning: This study aims to increase the understanding of how social workers experience “Diversity”- within their working group. The study focuses on the significance of ethnic origin and gender when differences meet, taking into consideration the interaction between categories of ethnicity and gender. Considering the imbalances of power and cultural differences when social workers stereotype “the other/ the others”.This study is based on a qualitative hermeneutic scientific tradition. The research method used consisted of semi-structured interviews with six social workers’. The respondents of this study were between 35 and 65 years old, two men and four women, some born in Sweden and some abroad. There was a wide variety of professional backgrounds within the study group. The empirical material was analysed by using two interrelated theoretical approaches: diversity in relation to intersectionality analysis and gender theory. And even including the “insiders” and “outsider” - theory, as previous research often connects the “insiders” and “outsiders”- theory to diversity and the beforementioned theories this study is based on. This study describes distinctions with different intersections between a number of factors regarding the individual’s cultural background; national, racial, ethnic, age, gender, and educational background. It aims to reflect how individual ideas about cultural differences are related to prejudicial values and judgmental norms. These values then give rise to conflicting thinking patterns between the “insider and outsiders”. In particular there was a significant divide between the respondents with Swedish background and with a foreignbackground; and division based on gender. Both cultural background and gender turned out to be the most challenging for this study.This study shows how the respondents identified the importance of the workplace reflecting a diverse cross-section of the community. They argued, among other things, that if there were greater tolerance for and experiences of different views and values, it would encourage cooperation in the workplace as well as a healthier “working climate”. Conclusively, this study shows that a heterogeneous group can increase the idea of “insiders and outsiders”, resulting in obstacles and barriers within the working group, which could cause complications and impacts on the construction and maintenance of positive working relationships.