The aim of the study is to explore the dynamic linkages between gender, expert knowledge and policy in the field of migration and integration in Germany, Poland, and Sweden from the late 1990s to the present. Migration is among the most important and disputed societal and policy issues of our time. What makes this comparison especially relevant is that the countries studied all experienced East-West and South-North migration but differ significantly with regard to historical paths and policy developments. With a special focus on family migration and asylum claims related to sexuality and gender identity. We ask: 1. How have country-specific configurations of knowledge-policy relations shaped gendered understandings and framings of policy issues related to migration and integration? 2. What is the positionality and impact of feminist expertise in the contestation and authorization of political knowledge claims? 3. How are different migrant groups, European and non-European, represented and categorized?
The study is embedded in comparative research applying qualitative methodologies and conducting document analysis and interviews. This allows for rigorous exploration of the institutional and discursive linkages through which policy-relevant knowledge is assessed and deemed legitimate. We will advance feminist scholarship with our analysis of how gender affects political knowledge and thus make an innovative contribution to migration and integration research.