A ZHAW study makes social integration measurable
How can the social integration of refugees be assessed? This question was investigated in a new study by the ZHAW School of Social Work. Researchers call for greater involvement of those directly affected and for their perspectives and expertise to be given more weight.
Switzerland has traditionally focused primarily on the labour market integration of refugees. Social integration, by contrast, has received less attention. But how can social integration be measured? On behalf of the Swiss government, researchers at the ZHAW have developed an assessment framework to monitor a specific area of funding dedicated to social integration.
“Measuring social integration can pose many ethical challenges,” states Eva Mey, co-project leader and professor at the ZHAW’s Institute of Diversity and Social Integration. According to Mey, simply quantifying social interactions does not capture the full picture. A simple monitoring tool with one or two indicators therefore falls short. Instead, the project team developed two different assessment frameworks. The first step, however, was to replace the term “social integration” with “social participation” and define the concept across specific categories, such as housing situation or experiences of interacting with government agencies.
Refugees as experts in their own right
The first assessment framework involves interviewing refugees using a standardised questionnaire. What is particularly innovative is the emphasis on refugees’ own perspectives. The second approach is entirely qualitative. Focus groups are set up in all regions. Guided by a set of questions, participants discuss how social participation can succeed. What is unique is that refugees not only participate in one of the focus groups and share their lived experiences, but they also assess the situation as experts and provide suggestions for improvement, Mey explains. “This is the only way to engage with people as equal partners.”