Högskolan i Skövde

With the increased migration stimulated by economic transformations and political unrest in different parts of the globe, the issue of cultural and economic integration of newcomers has become pressing for hosting societies. Apart from state-sponsored integration projects, various grassroots initiatives have started to emerge. This study looks at the format and effects of an informal education programme for refugees titled 'Capture the Moment and Learn Something New', organised by a person with a foreign background in a small-sized town in western Sweden. Through qualitative network analysis, we demonstrate ways in which the programme facilitates the development of interconnections within the group of newcomers and formation of a shared identity of a migrant, simultaneously helping acquisition of cultural fluency and social recognition that might improve immigrants’ chances in establishing ties with the local ethnic majority. The notion of social capital is employed to explain variations in the range of resources potentially available for the newcomers.