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Counseling between recognition, justice and difference: the significance of power asymmetries, communicative projects and unintended consequences in career counseling of immigrants in Sweden

  • Fredrik Hertzberg
  • Åsa Sundelin
Article
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Abstract

This article consists of two parts. First we present an ongoing Swedish research project, “Counseling between recognition, justice and difference”. The aims of the project are presented, along with an outline of the political and professional questions that motivate it and the theories which inform it. In the second part, an account of one of the studies in the project is presented, which focuses on counseling conversations with recently arrived refugees in secondary education. The analysis of the conversations focuses on the communicative projects of the participants, the unintended consequences of their actions, and the impact of power asymmetries.

Keywords

Counseling Multiculturalism Recognition 

Résumé

Conseil d’orientation entre reconnaissance, justice et différence : La signification des asymétries de pouvoir, des projets communicatifs, et des conséquences inattendues dans le conseil de carrière en Suède. Dans la première partie de cet article, nous présentons un projet de recherche suédois en cours, “Conseil d’orientation entre reconnaissance, justice et différence”. Les objectifs de ce projet sont présentés, accompagnés d’un aperçu des questions politiques et professionnelles qui l’ont motivé et des théories qui l’ont inspiré. Dans la seconde partie, un compte-rendu de l’une des études du projet est présenté, qui se focalise sur les conversations issues d’un conseil avec des réfugiés arrivés récemment et inscrits en éducation secondaire. L’analyse de ces conversations se focalise sur les projets communicatifs des participants, les conséquences inattendues de leurs actions, et l’impact des asymétries de pouvoir.

Zusammenfassung

Beratung zwischen Anerkennung, Gerechtigkeit und Diversität. Bildungs- und Berufsberatung von Immigranten in Schweden. Dieser Beitrag besteht aus zwei Teilen. Zunächst präsentieren wir ein laufendes Forschungsprojekt in Schweden „Beratung zwischen Anerkennung, Gerechtigkeit und Diversität“. Die Zielsetzungen des Projekts werden anhand eines Abrisses der politischen und professionellen Fragestellungen sowie der relevanten Theorien dargestellt, die den Ausgangspunkt des Projekts bilden. Im zweiten Teil wird eine der Fallstudien präsentiert, die sich auf Beratungsgespräche mit bereits relativ gut integrierten Flüchtlingen im Sekundarbereich II der allgemeinbildenden Schule beziehen. Die Analyse der Gespräche fokussiert auf die „kommunikativen Projekte“der beteiligen Akteure, die nicht intendierten Folgen ihrer Handlungen und die Wirkung von Machtasymmetrie.

Resumen

Counseling entre reconocimiento, justicia y diferencia: el significado de las asimetrías de poder, los proyectos comunicativos y las consecuencias no intencionadas en la orientación profesional de inmigrantes en Suecia. En la primera parte de este artículo presentamos “Counseling entre reconocimiento, justicia y diferencia”, un proyecto de investigación actualmente en fase de desarrollo en Suecia. Se definen sus objetivos, se resumen las cuestiones políticas y profesionales que lo han motivado, y se señalan las teorías que lo fundamentan. En la segunda parte se explica uno de los estudios del proyecto, que se centra en la realización de entrevistas de counseling con refugiados recién llegados a Suecia, y en edad de educación secundaria. El análisis de estas entrevistas se focaliza en los proyectos comunicativos de los participantes, las consecuencias no intencionadas de sus acciones, y el impacto de las asimetrías de poder.

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© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of EducationStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden

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