Perspectives on Migrant Care Workers in the Long-Term Care Sector: Identity Politics and Othering

Abstract

Nursing homes for older seniors are considered an integral part of the Nordic welfare regimes, with a comparatively large proportion of employed nativeborn women. This is partly under change. An ageing population in interplay with increased difficulties recruiting native-born care workers have raised questions of how to approach present and future workforce challenges.A proposed response to this challenge is the recruitment of migrant care workers, both from within one's borders and from outside. This strategy is already changing the composition of the workforce in long-term care in all Nordic countries and is expected to continue to do so.In this article, we will analyse perceptions of migrant care workers through the concept of 'othering', by combining perspectives from management and migrant care workers. Through a process of othering from management, two archetypes of collective identities are constructed: The migrant care worker and The Nordic care worker. These archetypes are both adopted and challenged by migrant care workers. We argue that these constructions entail both possibilities and limitations for migrant care workers, while representing the dilemmas management must take into consideration when seeking to include a more diverse workforce.

Managers' perceptions of masculinity and racialization in Swedish nursing homes

“…Nursing homes for older people are an integral part of the Swedish welfare regime. Swedish and Nordic elder care is characterized by being highly institutional, and elder care settings such as nursing homes and home care units have constituted an important labor market for native‐born women with shorter educational backgrounds to be gainfully employed (Åtgotnes & Storm, 2022; Simonazzi, 2009; Stranz & Szebehely, 2018). This in turn has contributed to the image of “the real care worker” as a White, Swedish‐born, middle‐aged woman from a working‐class background (Sörensdotter, 2008; Storm, 2018).…”

“…My ongoing postdoc project takes its starting point from two general trends that have been observed in Swedish elder care. One has to do with the growing share of foreign‐born care workers (Åtgotnes & Storm, 2022; Giertz & Jönson, 2018; Lill, 2021). The other is that Swedish elder care is characterized by new market‐like influences stressing individualized care and competition.…”

“…This implies a shift in power where the clients (and their families) become consumers in a care market and care agencies compete for potential customers (Moberg, 2017; Stranz & Szebehely, 2018). There are significant knowledge gaps when it comes to issues pertaining to racialization and gender under these new organizational conditions, not least from a Nordic perspective (Åtgotnes & Storm, 2022). In Sweden, research in this area has mostly focused on the welfare state's possibilities of meeting the care needs of older migrants rather than studying elder care as an increasingly multiethnic workplace (Torres & Lindblom, 2020).…”

“…The demands shaped by an aging population and staff shortages in most high‐income countries have raised questions of how to approach present and future workforce shortages, and Sweden is no exception (Åtgotnes & Storm, 2022; Lill, 2021; Torres & Lindblom, 2020). While many of these positions are filled by migrant women, it is important to bear in mind that also men in general—and in particular immigrant and racialized men—are increasingly involved in care work and other service occupations (Hrženjak, 2013; Locke, 2017; Storm et al., 2017).…”

“…This implies a shift in power where the clients (and their families) become consumers in a care market and care agencies compete for potential customers (Moberg, 2017;Stranz & Szebehely, 2018). There are significant knowledge gaps when it comes to issues pertaining to racialization and gender under these new organizational conditions, not least from a Nordic perspective (Åtgotnes & Storm, 2022).…”