Partnerskap - en snäv syn på samverkan En studie av lokalt integrationsarbete i Malmö

This essay revolves around partnerships established between local authorities and civil society to promote integration in segregated urban areas. The main focus is on who is active in formulating the local integration policy in these partnerships. The analysis is based on qualitative interviews with representatives from the local public administration and from different parts of civil society in Rosengard and Sodra innerstaden in Malmo. The conclusion is that local authorities to a large extent decide the content of integration policy. The authorities, in having the major responsibility of the integration projects, decide what parts of civil society to involve and what projects will promote integration. Still, associations of civil society may have an influence on integration policy, but there are considerable differences between associations in their abilities to participate. The possibilities of inhabitants in general to have an influence on integration policy are found to be modest. The division of responsibility between the authorities and civil society is found to be increasingly blurred. On the basis of the empirical study the concept of partnership is questioned. The conclusion is that the use of the concept for the purpose of evaluating integration policy is insignificant.