Preliminary Programme

Wed 12 April
    08.30 - 10.30
    11.00 - 13.00
    14.00 - 16.00
    16.30 - 18.30

Thu 13 April
    08.30 - 10.30
    11.00 - 13.00
    14.00 - 16.00
    16.30 - 18.30

Fri 14 April
    08.30 - 10.30
    11.00 - 13.00
    14.00 - 16.00
    16.30 - 18.30

Sat 15 April
    08.30 - 10.30
    11.00 - 13.00
    14.00 - 16.00

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Wednesday 12 April 2023 16.30 - 18.30
X-4 ETH13 Migration and Health
Västra Hamngatan 25 AK2 136 (Z)
Networks: Ethnicity and Migration , Health and Environment Chair: Linda Reeder
Organizers: - Discussant: Linda Reeder
Margo Anderson : The 2020 U.S. Census: Trump, the Pandemic, and Threats to Democracy
The U.S. took the 2020 census in the midst of the pandemic and efforts by the Trump administration to identify citizens and undocumented immigrants so they could be excluded from the political uses of the census [apportionment and redistricting].
The question on citizenship was defeated in the courts, and Trump lost ... (Show more)
The U.S. took the 2020 census in the midst of the pandemic and efforts by the Trump administration to identify citizens and undocumented immigrants so they could be excluded from the political uses of the census [apportionment and redistricting].
The question on citizenship was defeated in the courts, and Trump lost the 2020 presidential election before he could implement his efforts to identify undocumented immigrants. The hangover from these attacks, plus the pandemic disruption, has led to doubts about the quality of the count and its use in democratic government. The paper will assess these issues as of 2023.
(Show less)

Olle Jansson : A Reluctant Retreat. Attempts by the Swedish Medical Association to Obstruct the Immigration of Physicians in Early Post-war Sweden
This paper discusses arguments and political initiatives that the Swedish Medical Association (Sveriges Läkarförbund, SLF) took in attempts to curtail the immigration of foreign-educated physicians to Sweden in the first decades after the end of world war two. During the inter-war period, a shortage of positions for especially newly educated ... (Show more)
This paper discusses arguments and political initiatives that the Swedish Medical Association (Sveriges Läkarförbund, SLF) took in attempts to curtail the immigration of foreign-educated physicians to Sweden in the first decades after the end of world war two. During the inter-war period, a shortage of positions for especially newly educated physicians had made SLF into a very protectionist organization that regularly questioned the ability of foreign-educated physicians of treating Swedish patients. Several of their leaders were also involved in or sympathetic towards right-wing political and pro-German organizations.
The early post-war period heralded a period of rapid changes within both the political landscape in general and health care policies in particular. The ruling Social Democratic Party wanted to reform the health care sector, expand the number of public hospitals and healthcare clinics, and make health care assessable for all with no or limited fees upfront. This entailed a rapid expansion of the number of physicians, through increasing the number of medical students as well as simplifying the process that would enable foreign-educated physicians to come and practice in Sweden.
The leadership within the SLF was against all of this. Neither the “socialization” of healthcare, the “proletarianization” of the medical profession nor the “import” of foreigners for such work was compatible with SLF:s professional project at the time. For them, a physician was a small intellectual and cultural elite of private, independent highly educated professionals. They fought tooth and nail to try to argue against these developments. In the end, they lost them all.
In this paper, I will primarily focus on their resistance to foreign-educated physicians. The material used has been collected from the archives of SLF, articles from journals written for and by Swedish physicians, and archive material from some reports and inquiries within the government and the Swedish Medical Board (Medicinalstyrelsen) during the period circa 1945-1960.
I argue that SLF had developed a nationalist professional strategy that included strong social closures against foreign-educated physicians during the interwar period. This strategy was well adapted to the interwar and war period but would soon show to be unsuitably adapted to the post-war period. SLF:s demands and arguments often fell on deaf ears in government, the medical board, or in public debate in general. During most of the 1950s SLF only made small concessions to the new political landscape. Not until the leadership that hade came to eminence within the medal organization during the interwar period was replaced with a younger generation of physicians was a more coherent policy change visible.
The paper thus argues that professional, as well as other employee or trade union organizations, need to adapt to stay relevant and have an influence on policy but that this adaption at times can be slow and painful. (Show less)

Jose G. Moreno : The Social-Historical and Health Effects Of COVID-19 Among United States Essential Mexican and Latina/o Farmworkers
This paper will contextualize the Social-Historical and health disparities effects and impacts of COVID-19 among United States (U.S.) essential Mexican and Latina/o farmworkers. Combining a review of scholarly literature on Mexican and Latina/o farmworkers populations in the U.S. with a reading of news reporting on how this population formation has ... (Show more)
This paper will contextualize the Social-Historical and health disparities effects and impacts of COVID-19 among United States (U.S.) essential Mexican and Latina/o farmworkers. Combining a review of scholarly literature on Mexican and Latina/o farmworkers populations in the U.S. with a reading of news reporting on how this population formation has been affected by the pandemic. It will discuss issues within health and social inequalities and economic disparities, which analyses the COVID-19 social and political effects on this essential formation. Next, it will draw on recent media reporting to explore health and social disparities within U.S. essential Mexican and Latina/o farmworkers prior to COVID-19. Finally, it will close by reflecting on U.S. Mexican and Latina/o essential farmworker experiences and perspectives on this global pandemic. In the potential findings of this paper, it will use qualitative primary reports, articles, and news sound bites on the social and health disparities and effects of COVID-19 among U.S. essential Mexican and Latina/o families to provide there were many social problems and educational issues prior to COVID-19. (Show less)

Aiko Nishikida : Comparative Analysis of Coping Measures for COVID-19 in the Host Countries of Middle Eastern Migrants-Refugees
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 among Middle Eastern migrants-refugees, and clarify the methods introduced to cope with the influence of pandemic toward human mobility. Statistical approach will be used to analyze the casualties and comparative policy analysis will be applied for the countries ... (Show more)
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 among Middle Eastern migrants-refugees, and clarify the methods introduced to cope with the influence of pandemic toward human mobility. Statistical approach will be used to analyze the casualties and comparative policy analysis will be applied for the countries hosting the migrants-refugees from the Middle Eastern countries.
The outbreak of COVID-19 brought about unprecedented disaster and worldwide confusion in economy, politics, and migration. It caused over 6 million deaths and almost 500 million cases have been confirmed until mid-April 2022. While there was no exception from the spread of the virus, refugees and forced migrants were put in the most vulnerable position from the epidemic. Mostly devoid of the responsible governments for their protection, they had limited access to medical services, less availability of masks, soaps and clean water, and even less information provided concerning COVID-19 compared to the citizens with residential nationality. Nonetheless, they are often believed to be carriers of infectious diseases including COVID-19, though the reality does not coincide with the doubt . According to UNHCR, 168 countries fully or partially closed their borders and around 100 of those countries did not make an exception for individuals seeking asylum at the peak of COVID-19.
After a while, the closure against refugees and forced migrants has been gradually changed. The rapid development and production of the vaccines and accumulated knowledge about preventive methods to avoid infection enabled practical strategy in many countries. In March 2020, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched a Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19 which outlined the responsibilities and roles of different organizations. After a year, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States began to provide “Welcome Booklet for Refugees.” It indicated important information to help refugees and their families stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic after arriving to the United States . The Booklets are prepared in 18 different languages including Arabic and Persian. In Jordan, a host country of over 600 thousand of Syrian refugees, humanitarian workers have provided guidelines for health protection for the refugees in Za‘tari and Azraq camps through SMS and street posters . They provided information about how to preserve personal hygiene and health. However, protective material such as latex gloves, surgical masks and disinfectants were not sufficient for infectious prevention. Following these examples, this paper indicates pivotal cases of newly introduced methods and policies and point outs the deficiencies of each policy through comparative analysis . (Show less)



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