Between Talent and Survival – Intersectional Student Mobilities in Contemporary Sweden : The Case of Female Migrant University Students from West Africa
Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The study explores the economic experiences of female university students from West Africa in Sweden, focusing on their financial challenges, opportunities, coping strategies, identity negotiation, and the influence of gender on their circumstances. Through in-depth interviews with five participants, analyzed using an inductive, intersectional narrative approach, the research reveals several economic pressures and prospects. Participants report significant financial challenges related to income requirements for subsisting in Sweden, which are tied to the high cost of living, unfavourable currency exchange mechanisms, and the high cost of international money transfers. However, they also identify crucial opportunities such as part time work and scholarships that provided essential financial support. The study found that students employed various strategies to cope with economic pressures, including networking, language acquisition, effective time management, as well as careful budgeting. A key finding is the complex process of negotiating being a student and an immigrant worker, an experience that students from the Global South routinely encounter in Sweden as they balance their academic pursuits with economic necessities. Similarly, most of the participants report a transformation in their perspectives, particularly regarding gender norms as they adjust to life in Sweden. While most students perceive Sweden as having strong gender equality with little overt discrimination, some note subtle gender biases in workplace practices. The study also highlights how the intersection of gender, nationality and language proficiency creates unique challenges for female students. Based on these finding, the study recommends developing comprehensive financial support systems, enhancing pre-arrival information, expanding work and scholarship opportunities, implementing cultural adaptation programs, and creating targeted networking and mentorship initiatives.
Author: Ugwoegbu, Victor
Language: English
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7054536581