Ethnic Segregation Profiles and Educational Outcomes: Do Migrant Enclaves Promote Academic Aspirations?

Karen Haandrikman , Stockholm University
Siddartha Aradhya, Stockholm University
Juta Kawalerowicz, Stockholm University

In Sweden, growing numbers of young people with migrant parents face persistent educational and labour market disadvantages compared to their peers with native-born parents. Although second-generation youth perform better than their parents, they still lag behind in terms of employment rates and educational attainment, especially in upper secondary schooling, with boys performing worse than girls. At the same time, many migrant-background youths show higher educational aspirations than the majority population, more often choosing academic rather than vocational tracks. Explanations for these gaps include parental socioeconomic status, but also place of residence. We engage with literature arguing that segregation can have positive effects, especially when it is small-scale. The aim of this study is to examine how ethnic segregation profiles are related to school choice at age 16, for boys and girls with and without a migration background in the Stockholm region. Segregation profiles summarize segregation patterns at different scales, including the immediate and meso-level surroundings, as well as broader regional settlement patterns. These profiles are then clustered in a neighbourhood typology that for distinguishes between micro-enclaves, steep segregation and large-scale segregation. Mapping reveals large variation across Stockholm, with some highly homogeneous areas with only natives, and others very diverse. Regression analyses are used to test whether segregation profiles are associated with youths’ upper secondary choices, by gender. The study will further examine whether patterns vary for those with a European or non-European background, and what the role is of the exact location of the chosen school.

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 Presented in Session 25. Economic Drivers of Internal Migration