The role of religion in migration has been a contested subject in previous research and social work practice, with religion being considered both a bridge and a barrier to integration. When considering unaccompanied female minors, struggling to be recognised beyond the prevailing image of the victimised refugee girl, religion is sometimes seen as a force of oppression rather than a tool for integration. In this article, we focus on the embodied practices of young women’s lived religion in a context where such practices are constructed as otherness. Based on an interview study with 11 unaccompanied female minors, this article explores the identity negotiations that emerged when migrating from societies where religion plays an integral part in everyday life to a society with highly secular values. By using the concept of (oppositional) gaze, we explore how these young women negotiate their identities at a point where the normative, invisible gaze meets the embodied practices of lived religion. We demonstrate how these young women are themselves agents of their own faith, and we confirm previous research that points to religion as a support structure for unaccompanied minors; however, not without causing friction in their new society. The study shows how lived practices of religion and the development of an oppositional gaze can function as mutually reinforcing processes in identity negotiation. In social work, understanding the role of religion through lived practices might contribute to a more holistic approach when creating solutions for young people experiencing turbulent circumstances of arriving in a new country.

This paper presents a study on inhabited silence among unaccompanied female minors in Sweden. Silence among unaccompanied minors has often been explained by experienced trauma. Conversely, research also explains silence as a natural way of establishing autonomy during adolescence. By analyzing the narratives of 11 unaccompanied female minors, we aim to problematize and broaden the understanding of silence as a lack of communication. By using Bourdieu’s concept of linguistic capital, we analyze how hegemonic narratives on migration and integration influence how the girls in this study use silence in their everyday interactions. Our findings suggest that silence can be understood as both a rejection of these narratives and a strategy to preserve the girls’ integrity. We also demonstrate how these girls negotiate their linguistic capital in relation to embodiment and othering, thereby pushing boundaries of identity and what it means to be seen as Swedish. The paper concludes that silence itself speaks and shows that what is often perceived as a lack of communication can also be understood as a failure to listen.

Abstract

This thesis investigates young people as epistemic subjects, examining their everyday experiences and perceptions through a theoretical framework that addresses epistemic (in)justice, power imbalances, and the interplay between adults’ and young people’s knowledge claims. The thesis builds on two sub-studies conducted between 2015 and 2025, a period during which evolving political and media discourses reshaped the perception of certain youth groups' rights within Swedish society. 'Unaccompanied' refugee minors and young people residing in ‘vulnerable’ areas are two groups that have garnered considerable attention in media, political discourse, and social work practice. 

Drawing on interviews with 11 female 'unaccompanied' minors and 16 young people (7 girls and 9 boys) living in ‘vulnerable’ areas, this thesis centres on their everyday experiences of navigating Swedish society. Across four articles, their narratives about everyday life related to religion, language and silence, place-making, and meaningful social interactions are explored. These narratives vividly illustrate how young people navigate the conflicting perceptions between the often-negative image held by adults and authorities and their own understanding of their identities and aspirations. Demonstrating how young people's experiences can serve as various forms of epistemic resources, the thesis argues that their unique knowledge claims should be understood not only as expressions of individual experiences but also as critical and relevant insights into the complex realities that comprise Swedish society. 

A central point in the thesis is that the young people do not recognise themselves in the representations found in media and political discourses. Furthermore, rather than advocating for increased control and stricter measures to address societal challenges affecting young people, they emphasise the importance of fundamental respect, safe environments, and trusting relationships with adults as essential for positive development.

In conclusion, the thesis argues that by recognising young people as epistemic subjects, dominant discourses can be re-evaluated, problem formulations and solutions reconsidered, and alternative possibilities envisioned. Thus, the thesis makes a significant contribution to the planning of interventions aimed at young people presumed to need targeted social support.