Cultural Demands on Skilled Immigrants, A Devaluation of Human Capital: <i>The case of immigrant physicians in Sweden</i>

Abstract

The difficulties immigrant doctors encounter can be considered as an impediment to accessing skilful work, and are thus an indication of ethnic bias. Therefore the term "devaluation of human capital" is here used to analyze one case where schooling and/or licensure from other countries are less recognized. This study focuses on the case of immigrant doctors in Sweden and their difficulties in achieving similar status positions there as their Swedish counterparts. The study is based on a qualitative study of the Swedish medical journal over time and the aim was to broaden the understanding about how the skills of immigrant doctors are described in this context. Results show that, immigrant doctors in Sweden are constructed as assets when their language-skills are helpful in relation with immigrant patients. In this case the human capital of immigrant doctors is not devaluated, but often they are also considered as a threat to the 'trustworthiness' of the profession of doctors. Cultural authorization is a concept presented in this article that can help describing a profession's way of re-evaluating immigrant professionals.

Intersecting Experiences: Class, Gender, Ethnicity and Race in the Lives of Highly Skilled Migrants in Finland

“…Many other studies show similar distrust (e.g. Mozetic 2018;Salmonssen & Mella 2013). Incidents such as these are commonplace in a still relatively homogenous country such as Finland that has not been a major recipient of contemporary migration flows.…”

“…Stereotypical assumptions such as these are common complaints among skilled migrants from racialised minorities, especially men. It is also apparent that many feel judged according to racialised somatic features, rather than class-based merit (Mozetic 2018;Salmonssen & Mella 2013). Being a skilled migrant is not something that shows on the outside readily, and the assumption that African and many Asian migrants often come across is that they are humanitarian migrants, possibly refugees, rather than skilled labour migrants:…”

Understanding career development amongst immigrant youth in a rural place

“…Both immigrants and native Swedes are known to regard being a physician as a valued profession, so it is not surprising that the girls among our participants aspired to become physicians, given their high ambitions. However, employers, colleagues and customers in the labour market generally devalue the resources (such as skills and social capital) of immigrants, even those who become physicians, particularly women physicians (Salmonsson and Mella 2013). Immigrant physicians interviewed by the cited authors described their skills and social capital being devalued in interactions with colleagues, career advancement and patients' responses to descriptions they presented or treatments they prescribed.…”

Exploring of the Human Capital Depreciation of Ukrainian Labor Migrants Abroad: Results of a Survey

“…This subject is very topical and numerous scientists have studied Human Capital, Migration, and Education in the 20 th century, such as G. Becker [2], C. Dustmann [9], etc. and those continuing to study in 21 st century include M. Beinea, C. Defoortb, F. Docquier [3], I. Cieślak [4], S. Contreras [5], M. Dobija [6][7][8], B. Lowell [13], D. McFadden [14], L. Salmonsson, O. Mella [15], S.Weber [16], etc. Sometimes skilled workers move abroad for specific reasons and if these workers cannot work abroad in their own professions, their Human Capital depreciates very quickly.…”