Understanding the Research–Policy Nexus in Denmark and Sweden: The Field of Migration and Integration

Abstract

This article investigates the role of expert knowledge in integration policy-making in the case of Sweden and Denmark. The two countries have developed very different integration policies and therefore provide an interesting comparison of the research–policy nexus. It is argued that social scientists play a role in the construction of policy narratives, but that their role can be very different. In Sweden, social scientists have been influential in agenda-setting and conceptual rethinking of immigrant integration policies. In Denmark social science research has been utilised in a more selective ‘pick-and-choose’ manner to legitimate government policies.