The interaction of peoples and cultures in the context of Muslim integration into society in Sweden: problems and prospects

Abstract

The article is devoted to studying the problems of integration of the Islamic religion representatives into the indigenous Sweden society. The relevance of the study is provided by several factors, including an increase in the pace of migration, an intensification of the role of the «Islamic factor» on a global scale and in the countries of the Scandinavian region, an increased level of secularization of modern society in Sweden, etc. The latter factor often entails ignorance of religious rules and norms by members of society, including Islam, which can lead to uncomfortable situations, misunderstandings, disagreements and the growth of contradictions. It is the matter of interest that such «isolation» of Swedes from religion as a whole leaves room for migrants to practice their own religion in Swedish society. At the same time, religious and cultural rules and rituals undergo changes, tuning in to certain cultural filters and adapting to the everyday life of Swedes. In order to identify difficulties in the integration process, a number of differences in social and cultural rituals are analyzed, as well as the place of immigrants and their values in the modern society of the country. At present, not only external factors that affect the specific characteristics of modern society in the Scandinavian countries (values, norms, preferences, lifestyle, etc.) are changing, but also significant changes are taking place within the societies of these countries themselves. Taking these changes into account creates prerequisites for the development of a successful integration process, allows you to predict the reaction of people to different processes and events, thereby preventing a clash of sides and setting the direction of cultural and integration policy.

The media in its close interaction with various components of intercultural communication play a crucial role in the processes of international and interregional integration, as an essential communication link for the whole region of the Nordic countries and contribute to solving relevant to the region the problem of finding the optimal balance between different models of ethnic politics.