Research
The SFM holds a special place in Swiss social science research. By placing its findings at the disposal of numerous public and private actors it helps bridge the gap between research, practice and the public discourse. The research approach adopted by the SFM encourages a broad range of national and international collaboration. The SFM also places great importance on the application of research, as well as on the dissemination of knowledge to political decision makers and professionals.
The main areas of research are:
Today migration movements and the management of migration are of growing importance. The main reasons for this are the globalization of markets, unequal access to resources, increasing access to means of communication and transportation, as well as an increase in armed conflict across the world.
The SFM has conducted research in the following areas of migration movements:
- Diaspora communities in Switzerland (e.g. Sri Lanka, Portugal, Kosovo)
- Swiss nationals living abroad
- Deportation policies in Switzerland
- Characteristics of irregular immigration in Switzerland
- Student migration to and from Switzerland
- Management of migration and cooperation between countries of origin and destination
- Human trafficking in Switzerland
The SFM analyses new migration movements on the basis of quantitative and qualitative data. It studies the consequences of migration movements for those directly involved as well as for different public and private institutions. This expertise is made available for shaping future policy.
👉 An overview of all projects can be found in the SFM annual reports.
Like most European countries, Switzerland has witnessed an increase in migration related to asylum seeking since the 1980s, although there have been pronounced fluctuations. While the numbers pertaining to this phenomenon are fairly small when compared to immigration flows as a whole, the topic of asylum seeking has remained dominant in public debates on migration.
The SFM’s main research into asylum covers:
- Integration of provisionally admitted persons
- Situation of rejected asylum seekers living on emergency aid
- Integration of refugees and asylum seekers into the labour market and their role in the Swiss economy
- Impact of national reception policies on migration movements
- Individual migration strategies
This research generally combines macro-analytic approaches, statistical analyses and qualitative methods. Qualitative methods generally involve interviews with migrants and/or experts from different fields affected by migration.
👉 An overview of all projects can be found in the SFM annual reports.
Research on integration touches on many aspects of the relationship between migrants – as individuals or as groups – and the receiving society. It covers all dimensions of social, economic, and political participation.
The research carried out by the SFM covers a wide range of topics:
- Integration measures to facilitate the integration of first generation migrants into the labour force and everyday life
- Participation of children of immigrants in all spheres of social life with a particular focus on education
- Evaluations and scientific support for the development of measures and policies of integration at the municipal, cantonal and national levels
- Health policies for migrants and measures to improve immigrants’ access to health services
- Scientific evidence for the development of integration indicators at the societal and individual levels
- The role of media and communication strategies in the integration process
- Evaluation of integration measures in various areas of public policy (integration courses, integration contracts, language policy)
Research is carried out both on private mandates and on public tendering, as is the case with national and international research programmes.
👉 An overview of all projects can be found in the SFM annual reports.
SFM research looks at different ways in which racism is expressed, for example as an ideology to legitimise discriminatory practices. Discrimination is an unjust form of unequal treatment. Manifest racism taking the form of violence is restricted to marginal groups on the extreme right. However, in its latent and invisible form racism occurs in a subtle manner that is not always immediately apparent.
The research carried out by the SFM covers a wide range of topics:
- Discrimination against children of immigrants in the labour market
- Political mobilization of the extreme right in Switzerland
- Attitudes of the Swiss population towards immigrants
- Measures to prevent racism/discrimination in national and cantonal integration policies
- Forms of discrimination hindering access to the labour market
- Voluntary measures adopted by employers to combat discrimination in access to the labour market
- Institutional discrimination linked to the status of foreigners and asylum seekers
👉 An overview of all projects can be found in the SFM annual reports.
In the area of demography the SFM’s research focusses on four categories:
- Migration as a demographic phenomenon, affecting the development of the population and the demographic behaviour of Switzerland’s resident population
- The demographic profile of different immigrant populations living in Switzerland (e.g. Sub-Saharan African population in Switzerland)
- Capacity-building of National Statistical Offices in the Western Balkans
- Demographic phenomena such as fertility and mortality, the family and the elderly
👉 An overview of all projects can be found in the SFM annual reports.
Citizenship has been defined as a status of full and equal membership in a self-governing political community that entails rights and obligations and rests on a shared set of values. Research on citizenship policies and practices explores different meanings of citizenship, uncovers mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion and reflects upon different forms of participation and citizen engagement.
Research carried out at the SFM on citizenship has included:
- Participation in the European Union Democracy Observatory on Citizenship (EUDO)
- Participation in the follow-up initiative Access to Citizenship and its impact on immigrant integration (ACIT)
- Study on the Swiss citizens living abroad
👉 An overview of all projects can be found in the SFM annual reports.
The SFM places great value on the dissemination of research results – on sharing information and knowledge. We increasingly rely on audio-visual aids to make research results accessible to a broader audience. In this vein SFM researchers have been involved in the development of a module for teaching Swiss migration history in schools, in setting up an exhibition illustrating the role of “foreigners” in Swiss campaigns and developing a series of film portraits of young, “successful” immigrants.
L’étranger à l’affiche. Altérité et identité dans l’affiche politique suisse 1918 – 2010
Publication: Maire, Christelle et Francesco Garufo (2013). L’étranger à l’affiche. Altérité et identité dans l’affiche politique suisse 1918 – 2010 . Neuchâtel: Editions Alphil
Un film de Stéphane Wicki : Zeitreise Migration
https://migrationsgeschichte.ch/geschichte/zeitreise-migration-der-film
Institution mandante: Migros Kulturprozent
Dieser von Kindern und einem schlauen Buch gespielte Film (Dauer 18:15 Minuten) führt in die Grundfragen der Migration und in wichtige Aspekte der Schweizer Migrationsgeschichte ein.
Zeitstrahl
Institution mandante: Migros Kulturprozent
Neun Überblickstexte und zahlreiche kommentierte Bilder, Audios und Filme führen Sie in die Migrationsgeschichte der Schweiz seit 1848 ein.
Pathways to Success: uncovering the potentials of children of immigrant descent
Secondos: The Potential of the Second Generation
👉 An overview of all projects can be found in the SFM annual reports.
Current projects
Un jeu de société sur les droits humains
Réalisé par le Service de la cohésion multiculturelle du canton de Neuchâtel (COSM), en collaboration avec plusieurs partenaires, dont le SFM et Helvetiq.
