”Både och” eller ”varken eller” / En kvalitativ studie om att leva med dubbla kulturtillhörigheter

Abstract: Our globalized world has caused many cultures to merge which has led to a society in which a lot of individuals are part of more than one culture. The aim of this study is to examine what difficulties that come with having multiple cultural belongings. The study is based on individual narratives, uploaded on different podcast platforms, that have different cultural backgrounds but are a part of the Swedish culture and community. To understand why it is difficult to be multicultural, the narratives have been analyzed in theories where terms as race, “the whiteness norm” and racialization are of relevance. The result shows similarities in the difficulties these individuals experience in their daily life. An interesting result was how the respondents portray descriptions of how they must explain their connection to Sweden and their origins because they don’t seem to fit in with the idea of a “real” Swede. There are perceptions in the Swedish communities regarding how a “real” Swede should appear and those who differ from this perception can be challenged. Many of the respondents of this study perceive themselves as Swedes but they experience the resistance that comes with the normative ideas of what a swede is, which they differ from. To understand what strategies these individuals use to withstand the challenges that occur in having multiple cultures, we used Erving Goffman's dramaturgical analysis approach of how we present ourselves in social interactions. The results show that the strategies used by the respondents are based on having to take on different roles and to pass in the community as an eligible ideal.