Popular Education by and for Migrants : A study of preconditions for involvement of migrant study circle participants in the Swedish Workers’ Educational Association

This article explores the role of popular education for migrants ina social movement context. The aim of this study is to explore howmigrants’ societal involvement is enabled and constrained byparticipation in study circles organised in a local branch of theSwedish Workers’ Educational Association (ABF). The study wasdesigned and conducted in close cooperation with ABF. Drawingon the theory of practice architectures, the preconditions forinvolvement of migrant study circle participants in ABF are analysed using participant interview data. The analysis of culturaldiscursive, material-economic, and social-political arrangementsshows how the study circles are highly integrated into variousethnic associations, thus preconditioning societal involvementwith upholding an ethno-cultural heritage. Societal involvementis enabled as the participants can share social resources, information, and knowledge for both navigating in and relating to thelocal community and society at large. Societal involvement isconstrained by scarce resources and challenges related to maintaining and developing constructive relationships, both within thegroup and in relation to the surrounding societ