Beyond a Swedish Horizon: 'Young migrants in Sweden and their transnational prospects'

Abstract

This article examines the way in which young people of migrant descent in Sweden account for their future prospects and career plans. The article demonstrates how both their position as “migrants” in Sweden and their attachment to a transnational network has a significant impact on how young migrants express ideas and talk about future opportunities. The main conclusion is that from the perspective of young migrants, the transnational social network is a significant social reality to which they position themselves consciously. The network is also attributed a social capital that could extend the subjects’ horizon of action beyond the nation-state boundaries. In this sense, transnationality is a vivid dimension in the young migrants’ life prospects.

Keywords

• youth
• transnationality
• social capital
• social networks
• migration